


You Will Be Stronger Tomorrow: The Awakening of Wanheda

by minx4572



Series: Tomorrow Always Comes [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alpha Anya (The 100), Alpha Lexa (The 100), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Beta Raven Reyes, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Omega Clarke Griffin, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:53:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 108,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22115170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minx4572/pseuds/minx4572
Summary: Clarke, Lexa and kru have had a peaceful year, but now alphas and omegas from all across the coalition are starting to disappear. They search for clues, but each time they find the trail it disappears. They set out to find answer and to find who is taking their people. The obvious answer is Mt. Weather, but are they the only enemies at play and what sinister things are being done to the people that are taken?The search will find them travelling across all coalition lands, making new friends and new enemies.(I am not sure this is the best summary, but it will have to do for now)
Relationships: Anya/Raven Reyes, Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Gustus/Myra (original character from last story), Monty Green/Harper McIntyre, Octavia Blake/Lincoln
Series: Tomorrow Always Comes [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1591810
Comments: 1183
Kudos: 1259





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year everyone. Here is chapter 1. I am very nervous to post this chapter. We are setting out on a completely different journey than the last story. If you haven't read You Will Be Happy Tomorrow, you probably should. That story can stand on its own, but it will make more sense if you read that one first before staring this one.
> 
> I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who suggested title and series names, but the biggest shout out needs to go to Leelan22 and TheFrozenKillJoy who ended up giving me the title to this story. Why is it a title is so much harder to come up with than an entire chapter?
> 
> Anyhow, I hope you enjoy it. If you do, leave kudos and comments. I get so excited to hear from all of you.

Chapter 1

“We are not having this conversation again, Lexa.”

Out of frustration, Lexa ran her fingers through her hair, wanting to pull it out but somehow containing herself.

“I just don’t think it is necessary for you to come with me,” Lexa said. “I will only be gone for two weeks, three weeks tops. I will be back before you know it. It is unnecessary to you to risk yourself, Clarke, and I need you here to run things in my absence.”

“That’s a load of skrish, and you know it,” Clarke said with a hint of a growl touching her voice. “You have Titus to take care of things while you are gone. You just don’t want me to go because I am pregnant.” Clarke stalked around the room. “It isn’t like I am some kind of invalid now. Besides, I am not even showing. It has only been a couple of weeks. Both Nyko and Jackson said it is perfectly safe for me to travel.”

“I know, niron (loved one), I know. I just can’t help but worry about you. I want to make sure you are safe.” Lexa walked over to where Clarke now stood by their bed.

Clarke grabbed her hands. “I know, Lex, but I am not suddenly some fragile creature that can’t look after itself. I am not going to break, and I am not going to be left behind.”

Clarke always knew that she was going to win the argument. Lexa couldn’t deny her anything, and the omega used that fact against her houmon (wife).

They were going to be traveling to the northern most tip of Ouskejonkru (Blue Cliff) lands where it bordered both Trikru and Azgeda. Several members of the clan had gone missing, and with the proximity to both Mount Weather and Azgeda, the Commander feared the worst. The trip would take them further southwest than their intended destination, but they wanted to avoid traveling into Azgeda (and they needed to give wide berth to the Mountain). By rights, the Commander could travel wherever she wanted on coalition lands, but she didn’t want to poke the beast. Nia had already been difficult. She didn’t want to add to that.

The horses had been prepared, and they had all the provisions they needed. Aside from the usual gona, Anya, Raven, Indra, Gustus, Octavia, Costia, Lincoln, and Jasper were going. 

Because Lexa had given in to Clarke, she did make one demand. Jackson was to accompany them as well. The Commander insisted that if Wanheda were to make the trip, then so would the doctor. Jackson was more than eager, and Clarke had no issue with it. She respected the man, and he had become a friend.

The day was promising to be bright and cold. Winter was steadily approaching, and Lexa wanted to be back before the first snows fell. As they rode, they all marveled at the show the trees were putting on. Splashes of gold, red, purple, and orange littered the trees. The wind blew, sending cascades of leaves fluttering through the air. Clarke looked on in wonder as she caught one in her left hand.

“The beauty of this world will never cease to amaze me,” she said as she handed Lexa the leaf from where she sat on her horse, Steltrona. She had finally come to terms with the animal, and she rode much more comfortably. It had taken nine months of riding every day, but she finally felt at ease on the beast.

“Me neither,” Octavia piped in. “Everything on the Ark was so gray, and it was worse under the floor, but here, everything is constantly changing, and every day is different. I still can’t get over the sunrises.”

Clarke was the same. She woke up early every morning in order to watch the sun rise. She often dragged Lexa out to watch the sunset as well. For several minutes, the two omegas talked animatedly about the rising and setting sun much to the amusement of their mates. 

Behind them, Murphy and Costia were talking quietly. They had become fast friends. At first, everyone thought they would be getting together, but it turned out they were better as friends. Jasper rode near them. The business he had set up with Monty and Harper was gaining steam, and he was hoping to trade some of their best spirits for ingredients to expand their ever-growing lists of wares. Clarke and Harper had started learning the art of glass blowing and had already made several containers to hold their best batches of moonshine and other spirits. All Clarke asked in return was a few bottles of Lexa’s favorite honey mead. It had the effect of making the Commander goofy and extra frisky which Clarke liked very much. 

Jackson rode up next to the group. He had been straggling behind looking at natural beauty surrounding him. “So, what is Blue Cliff like?”

Indra, who had spent the most time there, answered. “It’s beautiful. The hills are never ending, and many of them are higher than the ones here. The people are proud and fiercely devoted to their way of life.” She looked at Jasper. “They have something they call uisce (whiskey). You think the stuff you are brewing is strong, Jasper, wait until you taste this. It is smooth but packs a punch. The elders like to tease that it will grow hair on your chest.”

Subconsciously, Clarke’s hand went to her chest. “Don’t worry, hodnes,” Lexa snickered, “it won’t make you grow any hair, and you won’t be trying more than just a sip of it anyway, at least not for nine more months.”

Clarke started to pout but brightened when she heard Indra saying that the people were also famous for their tattoos. She was saying that many of the best Trikru tattooists earned their skills only after a lengthy apprenticeship with the artists of Blue Cliff.

Clarke wiggled in her excitement causing Steltrona to snort in derision. “I want a tattoo.”

Lexa looked at her in surprise. Clarke had never expressed an interest in getting a tattoo. The thought excited the alpha, probably more than it should have. “Then you shall have one.”

For the next several hours, Clarke daydreamed about what she would want as a tattoo. Lexa suggested that she make her own design. The omega longed to be able to start drawing her ideas but riding on a horse made it impossible. As soon as they stopped for their next break, Clarke would grab her notebook and start putting her ideas to paper.

That night, after everyone fell asleep, Clarke stayed up with Anya, as she was oft to do. They sat by the fire, drinking warm mugs of tea and chatting. 

“Have you been to Blue Cliff before?” Clarke asked.

“I have. I was a young gona (soldier) then. There was a small battle between Ouskejonkru and Azgeda. There was a border dispute between the two. Heda at the time sent gona to help resolve the issue.”

Clarke blinked. She had never really thought about what it must have been like before Lexa became Heda.

“Things were much more unstable then,” Anya went on. “The clans were constantly fighting, and trade was almost nonexistent. Raiding was the way of life back then.”

“It sounds like it was a hard way of life.”

“It was,” Anya admitted, “but Heda Lexa has brought stability to the lands. It’s a shame that a few of the clan leaders, like the Ice Queen, want to ruin what Lexa has fought so hard to obtain.”

Clarke smiled, proud that Lexa was able to achieve something that no other Commander had been able to. “What is the Ice Nation like? I met the Queen, she is awful.”

“I heard about that meeting. I wish I could have seen you make her submit.”

“It, um, it was an interesting day,” Clarke said as she blushed. “Anyway, tell me about Azgeda.”

“It’s a hard place to live. They have a very short growing season, so they have to trade for a lot of the things they need. They used to get it by raiding, and sometimes they still do, but with the new trade routes, things should be easier for the people, but Nia strictly controls what her people get, and she taxes them heavily. If they can’t pay the tax or slip up in any way, they are punished.”

“It sounds horrible, why don’t the people overthrow her,” Clarke asked. 

“Azgeda has the largest army in the coalition,” Anya said. “Her guards, and the soldiers, are treated well. They get all they want to eat, have warm houses, and clothes for their families. Nia buys their loyalty at the expense of her people. There is no way that the people can overthrow her while her armies remain loyal to her.”

Over the past year, Clarke had been learning about the 12 clans, and she had met all the ambassadors, but she had only been able visit a small part of Louwada Kliron (Shallow Valley), and Yujleda (Broadleaf). It had been a long trip because they had to traverse most of Trikru to get to get there. Clarke found those people to be warm-hearted and happy. She thought it sad that all the clans were not like this. She knew it was naïve. She had met Queen Nia after all, but still, she had hoped that all the people, her people, were happy and at peace.

Anya and Clarke kept talking, late into the night, about the different clans. It wasn’t until Anya yawned hugely that they finally retired for the night.

The next morning found a bleary-eyed Clarke on her horse. After she had left Anya, she had quietly slipped into her tent to find her wife sleeping. She leaned in to kiss her goodnight, but the alpha’s eyes had popped open. Needless to say, the two had stayed awake a little longer than they should have that night.

Raven rode up next to Clarke. She had her ever-present tablet in her hands but handed it off to Clarke with a grin. 

“Look,” she said, reaching over to point at something on the tablet. “I have been looking at archived maps, and there used to be a town called Clarksburg not too far from where we are going.” She winked playfully at the omega. “We should go there and rechristen it Clarke’s Bootylicious Burg. We could build you two a cozy little cabin, and it could be a nice place for you to shack up with Sexy Lexi over there.”

Clarke rolled her eyes. Raven was forever making up new names for the Commander. “I am sure the local residents would love that.”

Raven just laughed and rode up to where her mate was. Lexa was at the front of the group when she held up her hand to halt everyone’s progress. In front of them was a group of about fifteen Azgeda warriors approaching them on foot.

Clarke rode up next to Lexa where she was addressing the group.

“What is the meaning of this, gona? You are on Blue Cliff lands.

The gona bared their necks in submission and respect to the Commander and one stepped forward to address her.

Clarke observed the people before her. Most had intricate scars on their face. Clarke had seen it on Nia, and the Ice Nation’s ambassador’s but these were more intricate. She would have to ask Lexa about it later.

A slender woman, who had no scars, approached and bowed before Heda. “We didn’t mean to come this far south, Heda. We are looking for our comrades. Four of them went missing overnight. We followed the trail. Whoever took them was messy, and they didn’t try to hide it, but then it just disappeared. Try as we might, we couldn’t find it again. It is as if it disappeared into thin air.”

“What’s your name?” Lexa asked.

“I am Echo kom Azgeda, Commander.”

“Well, Echo kom Azgeda,” the Commander started, “how do you know that they aren’t simply deserters?” 

Echo bristled at the presumed accusation about her men. “Azgeda gona do not desert. The punishment is worse than death by a thousand cuts.” She paced in front of Heda’s horse. “Besides, my men are loyal.”

“Loyal to whom?” Lexa asked.

“To me. I am their general.”

“Funny, you didn’t mention any loyalty to your Queen. Are you not loyal to Nia?”

“Of…of course I am.”

Lexa dropped the line of questioning but filed Echo’s behavior away for an in-depth introspection later.

“As it turns out, we are here for the same reason. Several members of Blue Cliff have also gone missing. Show us where you where you camped last night, and where you last found the trail.” The Commander’s voice left no room for disobedience. 

“It’s…it’s a few miles from here.”

“What led you this far from the trail then?” It was Gustus who asked, not trusting the Azgedan.

“Honestly,” Echo said, “it was just a hunch. The trail was leading this direction. Heda,” Echo looked to where the Commander still sat on her horse, “I have two other teams out looking. I sent one east and the other west.”

“Why not north?” Again, it was Gustus who did the questioning. Lexa didn’t mind.

“We know the North. We are the North,” Echo said with pride. “If there was anywhere to hide four kidnapped people in that direction, we would have easily found them. There are few places to hide that we don’t know about.”

Lexa sat, thinking. She pointed at Anya and said, “We are going to split up. General, I want you to stay here with Indra and Lincoln. Have Echo’s men lead you to where they lost the trail.” She looked directly at Lincoln. “I want you to scour the land where the trail is lost. See what you can find, and then follow it back toward Echo’s camp. You’re the best tracker we have, Lincoln, so you may be the best person we have for solving this mystery.” Lexa looked to the others, Echo’s men in particular. “Anya is in charge, but you will all follow Lincoln’s lead. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Heda,” they all said.

“Echo, you will lead me, Clarke, Costia, and Gustus to where you camped last night. Raven I want you with me as well. Bring your devices.”

Another volley of “Yes, Heda” could be heard.

The Commander looked at Costia. “Echo will ride with you.”

The omega glared at the Commander but didn’t challenge the order. She knew better than to disobey. Lexa may be her sister, but she was also the Commander. She could be defiant at home, but not here, and especially not in front of members of other clans.

Echo easily mounted behind Costia. She leaned in and whispered in Costia’s ear. “It is very nice to meet you Costia kom Trikru.

Echo told Costia to move the horse ahead so that she could lead the way. Costia growled and told her not to tell her what to do, but eventually did as the Azgedan asked.

Lexa looked over her shoulder at Jackson, who hadn’t moved, and growled. “Doctor, you are to go where Wanheda goes. Is that understood?”

“Yes, ma’am…I mean Commander.” The doctor blushed. “Yes, Heda.” He spurred his horse to start walking with the others. 

Raven made up the rear, after having spent a long minute kissing her alpha goodbye.

“Be safe, little bird,” Anya called after them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there. Here's chapter 2. I have had a few very productive writing days and am posting this chapter earlier than I thought I was going to be able to. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy it. As always, I appreciate the kudos and comments. They let me know if I am taking things in the right direction.

Chapter 2

It only took the group about twenty minutes to get to where Echo’s people had spent the night. The whole time, Lexa scanned her surroundings. Everything was quiet and undisturbed. The spot where Echo and her gona had camped was just over the border into Azgeda. 

Echo had Costia halt her horse’s progress. “This is it, Commander.”

Gustus scoffed and glared at the Azgedan alpha. The camp site was a mess. Litter was strewn about, and the fire ring was perfectly evident. “You Ice people…you have no respect for the land.”

“It isn’t exactly like we had time to break camp, Brutus,” Echo barked out from behind Costia. “Our people were missing.”

“It’s Gustus,” the giant man snarled out.

Lexa let out a warning growl and the two stopped bickering. Clarke just sat on her horse amused.

“For now,” Lexa said, “I want everyone to stay on their horses, and try to keep them as still as possible.” She then dismounted, landing softly on her feet. She turned a 360, looking over the camp, and then in the direction that the trail led.

“There is no sign of a struggle, and it is clear that they dragged the four men away,” she said to no one in particular. “How would they sneak into camp and not wake a single person?”

“Heda, is it okay if I get down,” Raven asked. “I think I see something.”

Lexa nodded and the beta got off her horse. She carefully made her way to the fire ring and poked around in the ashes. Grinning triumphantly, she pulled out a charred and dented metal canister.

“It’s a gas canister. They knocked you all out. Whoever took your men,” she said to Echo, “they tried to hide this. Piss poor job they did of it.”

Cold fear washed through Lexa. Clarke subconsciously touched her chest, having felt her mate’s fear.

“Our people do not possess this kind of technology. Skaikru did, but they are gone. That leaves the people of Mount Weather.”

“Not all of Skaikru is gone,” Clarke said. “We still don’t know what happened to the people of Farm Station.”

“And,” Costia added, “why take four men and leave the rest alive?” She looked at the others then back to the canister in Raven’s hand. “The monsters in the mountain have never spared our people before. Why would they now?”

“She’s right,” Gustus said. “They have been taking and killing our people for generations.”

Raven fiddled with the object in her hands. “Let me play with this for a while. I might be able to find something that will help us identify who is behind the kidnappings.”

“Echo,” Lexa said, “tell me about the men that were taken.” The Commander wanted to know if there was any pattern to the people who were taken. 

“They were the youngest, but biggest of our group, and all had served since they came of age at 13.”

Clarke interrupted the alpha. “Wait, you’re telling us that your people become soldiers at the age of 13? That is so young.”

Echo glared at Omega. “It is no younger than when your houmon became Commander, Wanheda.”

This information sent Clarke reeling. Her and Lexa had never really talked about how Lexa had become the Commander. She knew Lexa had been Commander for many years, but since she was 13? Clarke felt stupid for not knowing this. Why had they never talked about it? She looked over at the Commander, who was studying the campsite intensely while waiting for Echo to finish answering her question. Lexa was completely unaware of the fact that her wife was having a mini meltdown at this new information. Clarke was going to be sure to have a long conversation with her alpha tonight.

Echo smirked, knowing she had touched a nerve in the omega. “Yes, our people can become soldiers at the age of 13, and most begin their training long before that. Life is hard in Azgeda, and the surest way to a full belly is to become a soldier.”

Clarke wanted to tell the beta that she had heard about how cruelly her Queen treated the people of Azgeda, but they needed Echo’s help right now, so she chose not to egg her on. She asked a different question. “What about you? Are you just a soldier? You don’t bear any of the same facial scarring as your comrades.”

Echo narrowed her eyes at Clarke. “I am whatever my Queen needs me to be.”

Clarke was about to launch another question at Echo, but the Commander turned and levelled a glare at both women. 

Echo cleared her throat. “The men that were taken, Heda, are all about the age of 19 now. Three were alphas, and one was an omega.”

“The missing members of Blue Cliff are all about the same age. Three omegas and one alpha.”

“So, four alphas and four omegas. No betas.” Raven said. “Are there any other clans missing people?”

“If they are,” Lexa said, “we don’t know about it yet, and so far, the missing people have been taken from near Maun-de. If it is the Mountain Men, then the people from the other clans should be safe. As far as we know, the Mountain does not have such far-reaching capabilities.”

“But,” Costia said, “we need to remember that as far as we know, the missing members of Skaikru fled to the Mountain. They could be aiding them.”

“It is certainly a possibility to consider,” Lexa said.

“In the past, the Mountain has taken many of your people,” Raven said. “Were any of them betas?”

“Yes, they took indiscriminately.” Gustus said.

“And you have no idea what happens to the ones that don’t come back as reapers?”

“No. We assume that they are killed, but honestly we don’t know,” Lexa said.

Lexa finished scanning the campsite and wandered near where Clarke sat on her horse. She wanted the comfort that her mate’s presence provided. “It’s going to be okay, Commander. We are going to figure this out.”

Lexa gently squeezed Clarke’s ankle where it sat supported by the stirrup. She leaned in and pressed her cheek to the omega’s calf. “I know, ai hodnes, I just wish that just once something could be easy.”

Lexa had Echo dismount from her horse. She wanted the Azgedan alpha to lead her to where they lost the trail. Raven also stayed on foot. Her observation skills were surprising considering she came from the sky. The others stayed on their beasts. 

Costia watched as the Azgedan General walked with Heda. She wasn’t sure what she felt about Echo kom Azgeda. She wasn’t pleased to share her horse but had to admit that as the ride went on, she felt a certain comfort with having the woman behind her. She missed having companionship. She enjoyed the time spent with her friends, especially Murphy, but she could admit that she was jealous of all the relationships around her, and she hoped that she would find a mate sometime soon.

Clarke slowed her horse so that she was walking next to Costia. “You’re being quiet,” she said.

“I am just thinking.”

“About what?” Clarke pressed.

“Nothing, it is stupid,” Costia said.

“It isn’t stupid if it is bothering you.”

Costia squeezed the reins, accidently pulling on them and causing her horse to lift its head in irritation. “It’s just…it’s just having Echo sit behind me made me realize that I am lonely.” Large green eyes looked directly at Clarke. “I don’t miss Bellamy, but I miss what I had with him. I miss having someone close, and I…I miss having someone hold me at night.”

Clarke’s heart broke for her friend. Costia had been so strong after what happened with Bellamy. It never dawned on her that the other omega might be lonely. She was always surrounded by people, always laughing, always joking.

“You will find someone, Cos, I know you will.” 

Costia shook her head, curly mane floating in the air with the movement. “I’m sorry Clarke, I didn’t mean to lay this on you. My heat is coming in a few weeks. It’s messing with my head.”

The two stayed at the back of the pack as they talked. 

“Hod op (stop).” They heard Lexa call out. 

They watched as everyone got off their horses and followed suit. “What’s happened?” Clarke asked.

“Nothing. It’s exactly as Echo said. The trail just disappears,” the Commander said.

Raven was looking up. “It isn’t possible. It just isn’t possible to disappear like that.”

Raven scanned the sky and the branches above them. She then got on her hands and knees and explored the ground. Frustrated, she blew an errant hair from her face. “I don’t understand.” The beta stood frozen as she thought. “The Mountain, they don’t have any flight capability, do they?”

Clarke almost laughed at the way that all the grounders, including the Commander, tipped their heads in confusion. 

“You know,” Raven said, frustrated. She extended her arms out to the side and ran around, simulating flight. At this, Clarke did burst out laughing. “You know…planes, drones, tech that flies.” Raven went on, ignoring Clarke’s merriment at her antics.

Clarke continued to laugh as she watched her houmon struggle to keep from smiling. She did a monumental job, but the omega could see the amusement in her eyes. 

“No, Raven, as far as we know, Maun-de does not possess any such tech.”

Raven walked over to where Clarke was perched. She smacked her leg. “Don’t make fun of me.”

Wanheda’s grin widened. “I didn’t say anything.”

“I hate to interrupt,” Echo said, “but where are the others? We should have met up with them by now.”

At this statement, Lexa went rigid. “Back to where we left the others. Nau (now)!”

The scene they found was chaos. Trikru and Azgeda gona were strewn everywhere. Octavia, who looked haggard and beaten, was holding a rag to a bloody gash on Lincoln’s cheek as he leaned against a tree. Anya was sporting a black eye and a bloody nose, and Indra, well, Indra was uninjured and leaning over an unconscious Jasper. Seven dead reapers littered the ground.

Lexa was impressed that her people fared as well as they did. It could not have been easy to take down seven reapers. Reapers were relentless and felt no pain. Nonfatal injuries didn’t even phase them. It did make her wonder what the Mountain was up to. It didn’t usually send more than three or four reapers at a time.

She turned her head when she heard a fierce yowl pierce the air. It was Raven, running to aid her injured alpha.

“I am fine strik sora (little bird),” Anya said. She shook her head trying to avoid Raven’s probing fingers. “Ouch. Stop touching my nose. It is fine.”

“It isn’t fine,” Raven growled. “It is broken. Jackson,” the beta yelled. “Get the hell over here and fix my wife’s nose.”

The doctor stood from where he was crouching over an injured soldier. He looked to Heda for permission before leaving the gona’s side. Raven couldn’t help but growl as he approached. “Knock it off, Reyes. Do you want me to fix her nose, or not?”

The growling stopped. “Sorry.”

Clarke, who had already gotten off her horse, walked over to Indra. She looked at Jasper, who was just starting to wake up. He had a large knot on his forehead.

“What happened here?”

Indra looked up.

“As soon as you left, the reapers attacked. You couldn’t have been gone more than five minutes. If I didn’t know better, I would swear that they were waiting for you to leave before they tried to ambush us,” Indra said.

“From the look of things, you are lucky there weren’t more,” Clarke said.

“There were more,” a groggy Jasper said as he clutched his head. “There were at least three more, but they didn’t attack.”

“What do you mean, they didn’t attack?” It was Lexa who spoke. 

“Two scented the air before directing the third to my horse. It ran over and stole the saddle bag. As soon as he had it, the three reapers ran back into the forest.”

Lexa locked her hands behind her back and started pacing. She was worried. Reapers were mindless killing machines. They had never seemed capable of more than that, and they had certainly never retreated before.

“What was in the bag?” She wanted to know what made it so important.

“Not much,” Jasper said. “It had some of my clothes, a couple of apples, and Clarke’s toiletry bag.”

The Commander turned to look at her wife, waiting for an explanation. 

“Jasper had room for my bag, and Steltrona doesn’t like the smell of the perfume you gave me, so I gave my bag to him to carry. The only other thing in it was my hairbrush.”

Raven looked up from where she was cleaning blood off Anya’s face. Eric had reset her nose, but it had caused a new fount of blood to gush from it. “You brought your perfume…on a trip across the coalition?”

Clarke blushed. “Lexa likes the way it makes me smell, says it brings out the smell of the pup.” She rubbed her hand across her belly.

Raven hid her head in her mate’s chest to stifle her laughter. 

“Why would they want a bag filled with that? There wasn’t anything important in it, and when did reapers learn how to steal.” It was Indra who spoke. She reached out her arm for Jasper to grasp and helped him up.

It worried both Clarke and the Commander. 

“Were they hungry? Do reapers even eat,” Raven asked.

“Our food stores are on the horse right next to Jaspers. That can’t be it,” Indra said.

Clarke shivered. “Jasper, you said they scented the air.” She looked at Lexa. “Do you…do you think it was my stuff that they were trying to find.”

All heads whipped up. “How would they know your scent,” Jasper asked.

“When the rest of Skaikru escaped, they took the files Abby had on me,” Clarke’s voice held a hint of fear, “and while I was captured, they took some of my blood. Was it me they were scenting?”

Lexa could feel Clarke’s distress. She walked over so that she could be in her proximity, but she didn’t show any outward affection, not in front of the Ice Nation gona.

“Can they do that?” Octavia asked. “Can a reaper sniff out someone based on their blood?”

“Based on today, we need to rethink our previous beliefs about reapers. Before they were mindless killers, but now it would appear that they are evolving. At least some of them,” Indra said. She pointed at the motionless reapers on the ground. “These were the typical ripas.”

Raven squatted in front of a reaper who had apparently been killed by a single blow. It was the least covered in injuries. “Hey, Jackson, come here.”

She pointed at the reaper’s neck. “Do you find that unusual?” The ripa had an angry red welt on its neck.

“It looks like it has been injected with something.” He looked at the other reapers. They all had similar marks. He had a thoughtful look when he turned back at Raven. “Do you think that this is how they are controlling them? Are they drugging them?”

Raven was silent for a while. “It makes sense. How else would they turn a regular person?”

“With the right combination of drugs,” Eric mused, “it might not be that hard to turn someone into this.” He indicated the dead reapers on the ground. “Get them addicted enough, and they would probably have a way to control them too.”

“I can’t even imagine the pain someone must go through to turn into one of these…things,” Octavia said.

Lincoln put a hand on her shoulder as he peered at the pathetic creatures. “What the Mountain does is an abomination.”

Clarke watched with sadness in her eyes as the gona began to collect the dead and build a pyre. Echo was looking closely at one.

“This one was once named Marte. She was the healer in the village I grew up in. She had a beautiful soul. Yu gonplei ste odon, kriken fisa (old healer).”

When the last flames had finally flickered out, the group moved on. Several messengers were sent out. Two to the other Azgedan soldier groups Echo had sent out earlier, and one to Polis. Titus and Myra needed to be informed of the events of the day. The Commander also wanted Markus Kane updated. If anyone was going to be able to help figure out the reaper situation, it was Skaikru. Eric had explained that with most drug addictions there were cures. Skaikru medicine might just be able to reverse the effects of whatever drugs were being used to turn Heda’s people into monsters.

Echo and Gustus argued vehemently that this wasn’t possible, that the people had been trying for generations to heal the ripas to no avail. It always led to the further injury of both parties and heartbreak because the reapers always died.

It was only after strenuous argument and explanation from Jackson and Raven that Gustus and Echo gave up the fight. It might also have been that they both realized they were arguing for the same thing. Neither wanted to admit that they agreed with the other. 

Echo’s men were to meet up with them. There wasn’t time to send for more gona from Polis, and Lexa wanted more protection for Clarke. Like it or not, Echo’s men were Clarke’s new protection detail. She could see that Echo had wanted to protest, but she wouldn’t dare go against the order of her Commander. Lexa already knew she would be hearing from Queen Nia about commandeering her men.

Lexa hadn’t said anything out loud, but after what had happened, she was certain now that her houmon was a target. Clarke had been distracted away from her earlier thoughts, but Lexa was no fool, and neither was Clarke. Clarke also knew that she was the target. 

It made the alpha rage inside. What was it that they could possibly want with her? Why couldn’t they just leave her wife alone? The only thing that made the Commander feel better was that they would be travelling away from the maunon (mountain men). Their reach only extended so far.

That night, when they stopped, the Commander and Wanheda’s tent was placed in the middle of the camp. Extra men were left to keep watch.

“Don’t you think you are overdoing it just a teeny tiny bit, Lex?” Clarke didn’t like the extra protection.

“No,” was all the alpha said as she slowly undid the leather straps holding on her armor.

“We don’t even know for sure if the ripas were after me,” Clarke said.

Lexa looked at the omega and rolled her eyes. She didn’t say anything.

“Fine. It probably wasn’t a coincidence that they took the bag that had my stuff in it, but we are far away now. I will be fine.”

“I won’t take the chance of someone taking you away from me again, Clarke. You and our child will have extra protection. This is one argument you are not going to win, niron.”

The omega knew she wasn’t going to be able to sweet talk Lexa into changing her mind, so she gave it up and instead asked, “How come we have never talked about when you became Commander?”

Heda sighed. It wasn’t a time in her life that she liked to think about. “Let me finish changing, and I will tell you all about it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we will learn about how Lexa became the Commander. 
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts. Your comments truly make my day, and I value everything that you all have to say.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday, everyone. Here's the next chapter. Somehow I have been able to stick to my old posting schedule. I can't promise to keep it up, but I will try.
> 
> As always, thank you for the comments and kudos. I appreciate the support.
> 
> Enjoy.

Chapter 3

“I was very young when we came to Polis so that I could train with the other natblidas (nightbloods). The Commander at the time, we called him Sheidheda. He was a harsh and cruel man. He was a very powerful alpha, but unfortunately, he was also very disturbed. He commanded total submission from all his people, and he was just as likely to kill an ambassador as help them if they asked for aid against another clan.

In the beginning, Sheidheda had no use for the nightbloods under his care, and left us alone to train with the Fleimkepas, but as time went on, he become more and more interested in us. He would interrupt training sessions and force us to submit to him even though we would already be on our knees and baring our necks out of respect to him. He started pitting us against each other in sparring matches that were purposefully uneven, and when the weaker opponent fell, he punished them harshly. You could see the gleam in his eye whenever he punished one of us.”

Lexa was pacing the tent. Her heart was beating erratically in her chest. 

“Hey,” Clarke said, pulling the alpha to her. “You don’t have to tell me about it. It’s okay.”

“No,” gently pulling away from her omega so she could pace again. “You should know.”

Clarke stepped back and allowed her alpha to move about the tent. “It all came to an end when Sheidheda forced me and Luna into the ring together.”

“Luna is a nightblood?” Clarke couldn’t help but interrupt Lexa.

“Clarke, please…I will answer your questions, but I need to get this out.”

“I’m sorry, Lex. Keep going.”

“It was one of the first times he forced a match where the opponents were evenly matched. Both Luna and I had seen how he punished the loser of other matches, so we fought. We fought hard, and we both received grievous injuries. It was clear that neither of us was going to be able to best the other, but he forced us to keep fighting, clapping and laughing each time one of us would receive another injury. We were both bleeding and exhausted, and finally Luna made a mistake. She stepped back and slipped in some blood. She fell, twisting her knee painfully. She couldn’t get up.”

Lexa stopped her movement and looked at Clarke with watery green eyes. “The Commander screamed at her to get up. When she couldn’t and conceded the fight, he walked over to me and clapped me on the back. He told me that as the victor, the kill was mine.”

Clarke gasped.

“He wanted me to kill her, Clarke. When I hesitated, he demanded it. He then said that if I didn’t kill Luna, he would kill the both of us.” A single tear escaped from Lexa’s eye. “I…I lost control then. Something inside me snapped, and for the first time, I was able to force his submission. He fought it, but when he finally fell to his knees, my sword was moving before I knew what was happening. I cut off his head.” The alpha stood, sucking in air. “He was my first kill.”

More tears fell, and Clarke could see Lexa struggling to hold in a sob. “I had killed the Commander, and for that I was sure I was going to die. I immediately threw down my sword and sank to my knees, leaving myself at the mercy of the Fleimkepas. I expected to be thrown in a cell and kept there until a Conclave was called and new Heda ascended. I expected death by a thousand cuts, but instead of being killed, I was celebrated. The relief from those around me was palpable.”

Clarke was pumping out soothing pheromones, trying to ease the pain that her alpha was so clearly feeling at reliving this horrible moment of her life. 

“No Conclave was called.” Lexa was whispering now. “I had made the Commander submit. No one had ever been able to do that to a Commander before, and he had broken maybe the only truly sacred and unbreakable law we have. No Commander is to harm any of the natblidas in their care. The only reason he had gotten away with his treatment of us for so long was because no one could challenge him. He was too powerful.”

“But you were able to make him submit thus proving you were the stronger alpha.” Clarke concluded.

Lexa hung her head. “The Conclave was not called. It was already known that Luna and I were the strongest. If it came down to it, the Fleimkepas all knew that I would win. That was the moment it was decided that the natblidas would no longer fight to the death to become Heda. Everyone already knew that I was the strongest. If there had been a Conclave, I would have been forced to kill all the others.” 

Clarke pulled Lexa into a tight embrace. “I sometimes dream that that is what happened, that I killed all the nightbloods,” Lexa whispered.

“Shh,” Clarke cooed, holding the trembling alpha. “You should be so proud of what you did that day. You released your people from the rule of a tyrant, and since then you have done so much more for them. I am so very proud of you Lexa, and you should be too.”

Lexa let out a shuddering breath and gave her wife a weak smile. “I am sorry, Clarke, it is hard to remember. It was a traumatic thing to go from being a young nightblood to Commander in mere minutes.”

“Thank you for telling me. I understand why you wouldn’t want to relive that.” 

Not much more was said that night. Clarke spent the rest of her time awake calming and making love to her wife.

The next morning, they found themselves arriving in the Bluecliff trading village of Fox Point. People from many of the clans were bustling about, trading goods and animals. Ouskejon kru was famous for its smoked meats. Clarke watched as Raven was already pulling Anya from booth to booth, stuffing her face with whatever she could get her hands on. Clarke couldn’t fault her. Her mouth was already salivating, wanting to try some of the foods she could smell, but she needed to go with Lexa to meet about the missing members of the clan.

Lexa caught her envious look and promised that as soon as the meeting was over that she would buy Clarke whatever her heart desired from the market. The omega got excited. She wanted to try the ham. She had never had it before. Lexa frowned. She did not like the stuff. Meat shouldn’t be pink, she told her houmon, and Clarke laughed.

They entered a long wooden meeting hall. An imposing table sat in the middle of the room. It could easily seat twenty people, but for now, only two people sat at it. They immediately stood when Lexa and Clarke entered. 

They each bowed and showed their nexts. “Heda. Wanheda. Welcome. We thank you for coming all this way.”

The Commander walked up to the female first. “It was the least we could do. A visit to see you has been long overdue.” She reached for Clarke’s hand and pulled her to her. “I would like you to meet Wanheda, my wife and your Queen. This is Astor.”

Clarke grabbed Astor’s forearm and shook once. “It is nice to meet you. Please call me Clarke.”

Lexa next directed her to a tall and very slender man. He looked to be quite old, and his beard was filled with gray and silver hair. “This is Mika,” Lexa said. “He is one of the clan elders.”

The man gripped Clarke’s forearm. He was surprisingly strong. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Wanheda. We have been waiting for you for a long time.” He looked at Lexa and winked. “I see congratulations are in order. You are expecting pups.”

Clarke’s eyes widened in surprise. “Pups? How do you know it is more than one?”

The man smiled kindly at her. “I just know these things. I have never been wrong.”

Clarke looked at Lexa and Astor. “It’s true. He is never wrong about these things.”

The tips of the omega’s ears turned pink when she was caught placing a hand over her belly. “Pups,” she whispered, a little alarmed. She wasn’t sure she was ready for more than one child. “H-how many?”

“Just two, strik gona (little warrior),” Mika said.

The smile Lexa gave her was radiant. The sinewy man clapped the Commander on the back, hard. “I knew you had it in you, Heda. Didn’t I tell you years ago that you would have twins?”

“I…” Lexa thought for a minute. “I do remember. I was so young then. I had just become Commander and was on my first tour of the clans. I didn’t believe you.”

Mika beamed with pride. “I believe you told me you would buy me a drink if I was right.”

“That I did, old friend. I will do you one better. I have a fine bottle of honey mead. It is yours.”

They all chatted for several more minutes before getting to the business at hand. The four missing members of the clan disappeared similarly to the Azgedans who went missing. All were Ouskejon soldiers who were set to return from a scouting trip. No others had been with them. Just like the others who had been taken, the trail simply disappeared. 

“We did find this,” Astor said. She placed a metal canister in Clarke’s hand who looked it over then handed it to the Commander.

“It’s the same as the one Raven found,” Clarke said. She then went on to explain to Astor and Mika that the canisters contained a gas that knocked people unconscious when breathed in.

“That sounds like something the Maunon would have,” Mika said.

“Unfortunately, we believe that there are still missing members of Skaikru out there from a different part of the Ark that crashed. It could also belong to them. We haven’t found any traces of them either,” Clarke said. She used her hand to push some unruly hair out of her eyes. “What I just don’t understand is what they could possible want with our people. If it is the people from Farm Station, it could be for revenge for what happened at the Ark, but that is assuming they even know. The demolition site is still being watched over, and there have been no sightings of any members from Skaikru. I think it is safe to say that they would be ignorant of the events that happened last year.”

“You are right, Clarke,” Astor said. “It would make more sense that it is the Maunon that are taking our people. They have been taking our people for generations.”

“Yes,” Lexa said, “but not like this. It used to be random, and they left behind as many dead as they took alive. The four that were taken from Azgeda came from a camp full of people. Everyone left behind was unharmed, and so far, they seem to have no use for betas.”

Mika ran his fingers through his beard as he thought. “It is interesting. What has changed?”

Clarke told them about the reaper attack and how three of three of the ripas behaved differently than the others. Their initial disbelief at the changed behavior of the ripas was evident. It wasn’t until after she explained how they thought the reapers were being controlled by drugs that they believed her. She did not tell them that they thought she may have been a possible target. That was not information she was willing to share just yet if only because she was hoping it was not the case.

“Do you think there is a link between the ripas and those who are missing?” Astor asked. 

Lexa shook her head in frustration. “I honestly don’t know.”

They sat for another two hours discussing the situation. Lexa had called for Echo who provided as much information as she could. It wasn’t until Clarke’s stomach started to growl that they realized just how long they had been meeting.

“Sorry,” the omega grumbled.

“Do not apologize, Wanheda. It is we who should be apologizing to you. You have growing pups to feed.” 

Echo’s eyes widened briefly in surprise, but she recovered quickly before anyone noticed. Some people were very astute at picking up the scent of one carrying pups, but it wasn’t common unless it was family. The subtle change in scent often went unnoticed by others especially if they were unfamiliar with the person. 

“Let’s go get you some food. I know all the best stalls.” Mika winked at the Commander. “If I remember correctly, your houmon is very fond of our ham.”

The Commander snorted then followed as the older man wowed her wife with Bluecliff delicacies. To her horror, Clarke instantly fell in love with the ham and made her promise that it would always be available to her in Polis. The other thing her wife fell in love with was peach pie, a true and very hard to obtain delicacy, especially at this time of year. Clarke’s disappointment that she wouldn’t be able to have more had the alpha vowing to try and get more when the fruit was in season again. She told the omega not to get her hopes up.

Clarke was ready to burst but didn’t regret eating everything in sight. She smiled and thanked Mika for his kindness. He even introduced her to the best tattoo artist in the village after she expressed an interest in getting a tattoo soon. She spent a good hour ogling the artist’s designs. Lexa did the same. She was truly impressed by the creative designs. 

“Do you see something you like, niron?” Lexa asked.

“Everything,” Clarke said. “The designs are remarkable.” Clarke looked around the stall for the artist, but she seemed to have wandered away. “Do you think she would look over some of my own designs?”

“Of course, ai hodnes, I have seen them. I wouldn’t be surprised if she wanted to add them to her collection of offerings.” 

Clarke turned and gave her wife a chaste kiss. “Thank you, Lex, but I think you are biased.”

“Of course, I am,” Lexa said returning the kiss, “but it is still true. You have a remarkable talent when it comes to drawing.”

Suddenly, a horse came galloping into the square. It was a messenger from Polis. The exhausted rider flung himself off his horse and ran to the Commander. Panting heavily, he handed a piece of paper to the alpha.

She read it quickly then handed it to Clarke. It took the omega a few seconds longer to read it, but her shock was clear. Heda pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to stave off a sudden headache. She looked up at Astor and Mika. Indra and Anya had appeared out of nowhere as if sensing Lexa’s sudden need of them.

“Eight people have gone missing from Ingranrona kru (Plains Riders),” Lexa announced. “There is very little information, but as usual, there is a trail, but it leads to nowhere. The ambassador is demanding we leave immediately to aid in finding their people.” 

“There is no way we can go to their lands now. It will take us four weeks just to get there and that is if none of the horses get hurt. By that time, winter will arrive. We will be stuck there until spring,” Anya said.

Raven got that wicked gleam in her eyes that she often got when she was about to recommend something that the others would not like. “Not if you send for the rovers. We have more than enough of them now, and they can easily maneuver across the land, even if it snows. It would take three days, four days tops, to get there.” 

Over the past year, Raven had been able to build three more vehicles. She called them all rovers, but each was a little different from the next. All, however, had large covered truck beds that could accommodate four to eight people. To her extreme disappointment, all of the original rovers had been stripped of their weapons. After the fall of the Ark, it had been unanimously decided by all the clans that the guns would only be used again when it came time to fight the Mountain. The ambassadors, after several long-winded arguments from the Ice Queen, agreed that it was best if the guns were locked away. A special vault had been built. It would take a key from all twelve ambassadors and the Commander to open it. It was locked down tight. 

Gustus, Lexa, and Lincoln groaned at the thought of traveling such a far distance in the rolling metal boxes. Indra growled. So far, she had adamantly refused to go for even a short ride in one.

Anya, Clarke, and Octavia, on the other hand, were excited. “Road trip,” Octavia yelled out. 

Lexa scrubbed her face and looked at Indra. “Send your fastest rider to Polis. I expect the fleet of rovers to be here in the next two days.” She also rattled off a list of supplies and people she wanted to accompany them on the long trip to see the Plains Riders. 

She looked at Mika and Astor. “It will give us two days to see if we can figure out anything more here.”

Lexa’s mood had soured. She was beginning to think that something far more sinister was going on than just a few people being taken by the Mountain, and the fact that eight had been taken from as far away as Ingranron, made her doubt that it was the Maunon. If it was them, they had help, and she needed to figure out who that was as quickly as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading. I hope it was enjoyable.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter. My plan is to post again on Sunday, but I feel like I am coming down with a cold or something. Hopefully, it will just go away and not interrupt anything...like writing and posting. Although, I would be alright with a day off of work to just lay around. ;)
> 
> Anyhow, thank you all for the kudos and wonderful comments. Every one of them makes my day.

Chapter 4

Clarke kept looking over at a brooding Lexa. The omega was driving one of the rovers. The Commander sat next to her. It was one of the times she felt blessed to be married to the most powerful woman in the known world. Because of Lexa’s status, and Clarke admitted because of her own, they had not had to sit in the back of any of the rovers as they drove steadily closer to their destination. The two sat in the comfortable front cab of the vehicle alone for now. When Clarke got tired, someone in the back would relieve her and she would scoot over and be able to snuggle with her wife as the long hours passed them by. 

It had been after several failed attempts that it was decided that it was not a good idea for Heda to drive. It made Clarke happy to know that there was at least one thing her houmon was not good at. 

“Stop staring at the radio, Lexa.” The alpha kept glancing at the radio in her lap waiting to hear something. “No news is good news.” It had been Lexa and Raven’s idea to have radios in all the rovers. It made it easier to communicate. There was also one long-range radio that Raven was almost positive would reach Polis. She explained it would depend on the weather and a host of other things, but she was almost one hundred percent, well eighty…seventy percent positive it would work. 

The alpha picked up the radio and was about to press the toggle to make it work. Clarke growled. “Lex, Titus or your nomon will reach out to us if something happens, so put down the radio before you waste the battery. It’s late. If you run it down now, we won’t be able to recharge in until the sun comes back up tomorrow morning. Just sit back and enjoy the scenery. It’s gorgeous.”

The alpha reluctantly put down the radio. She couldn’t deny that the scenery was pretty. They were halfway through Delfikru. Lexa watched as amber fields of grain undulated in the wind. Delphi clan was a large farming community, and it was harvest season, so she doubted that the grain stalks would still be standing when they made their return trip from Ingranrona. Much of the grain that fed the coalition came from them. It was one of the reasons that Lexa approached them first when she had the idea to start the coalition. Trade routes had been established and all the clans benefited. 

The Plains Riders had been harder to convince, especially since they were the farthest away from the capital of Polis. They were in good standing with their border neighbors of Delfikru and Trishana kru (Glowing Forest), but they were often besieged by Azgeda, Podakru (Lake People), and Boudalan (Rock Line) who hunted in their lands and often stole their horses. There was constant upheaval, but Lexa was able to convince them that with the coalition, there would be peace, and instead of stolen horses, they would receive equal payment for the beasts they provided. 

Clarke looked over again when the Commander sighed heavily. She reached over and put a hand on her knee. “Hey, you need to stop thinking. Turn off your brain for just a little while. The world won’t fall apart if you stop thinking about what’s going on for a few hours.”

“I can’t, Clarke,” Lexa said, reaching out and squeezing her mate’s hand. “I need to figure this out before more people are taken. If I can’t, the ambassadors will lose confidence in me. They could challenge my right to be Heda.”

The omega was shocked. Over that past year, she had become good friends with the ambassadors and didn’t think they would turn against their Commander, but if more people disappeared, she could see how it might shake the faith they had in Lexa to keep their people safe. She hated that the fate of all the people rested squarely on her alpha’s shoulders, but she had resigned herself to the fact long ago. It was just lucky that things had been calm since the fall of the Ark. 

“We are going to figure it out, Lex.”

The Commander gave her a weak smile. “We have to, niron, not only for my sake, but for the sake of the missing people. Isn’t it enough that the Mountain takes our people and turns them into reapers? Who knows what they do to the others? This time it feels different…It is different, and my gut is telling me something new is happening. At least before, Trikru, Azgeda, and Blue Cliff were the only targets of the Maunon, but if more people start disappearing from clans further from the Mountain, there is going to be unrest.”

“You’re right,” Clarke conceded. “We have a few more hours before we have to stop for the night. Why don’t you try and rest for a while? Sleep. I know you haven’t been getting enough rest at night.”

Lexa looked over at her wife. “How do you know that?” The alpha was sure that she hadn’t disturbed her sleeping wife while she sat awake and worried.

“Your thoughts are very loud at night, Heda.” Clarke slowed the rover as it went over a particularly bumpy part of the path they were on. She was glad that Raven and Anya were leading the team of rovers. She did not think she would be able to navigate the narrow and sometimes treacherous “roads” that led across the coalition.

“I am sorry, Clarke. I have not meant to disturb you.”

“You don’t,” Clarke said then quickly went on when Lexa gave her a look that told her she didn’t believe her. “Next time just wake me up, okay? We can talk it out, or I can do other things to take your mind off things for a while,” she said as she slid her hand up her alpha’s thigh.

Lexa shivered and grabbed Clarke’s wandering hand. “Don’t. You might crash the rover,” Lexa joked.

“Or you might get the seat all wet,” Clarke shot back to Lexa’s utter horror.

The omega barked out a laugh. “You’re blushing, alpha.”

They stopped driving shortly after dark. They had arrived on a vast, open plain. Camp would be able to be set up quickly. Already cooking fires had been lit, and their tent had been erected. They would arrive in the Plains Rider village of Woda’lu in the morning. 

As per the usual, Anya and Clarke stayed up long after the others had retired for the night; the only difference was that Raven stayed up with them this time. The beta was wrapped in several layers of fur, and she shivered despite her proximity to the fire.

“Raven, if you are so cold, why don’t you go to bed?” Clarke couldn’t understand why Raven sat outside with them suffering.

“Because it is so damn cold that the only way I am going to be warm is if my mate is in bed too, but since she isn’t, I may as well be cold out here instead of cold in there. Either way, I will be awake.”

Anya pulled her mate closer to her. “She is always such a grumpus about the cold. I for one, find it invigorating,” Anya said with a smirk as Raven rolled her eyes.

Clarke didn’t mind the cold too much either. She attributed it to always being cold up on the Ark.

“How is Lexa holding up?” Anya poked a stick into the fire, stirring the coals and fanning the flames to provide her mate with more heat. “She was quiet tonight.”

Clarke sighed. She was worried about Lexa. “She is struggling with everything that has happened, and she is worried that if more people are taken that the ambassadors may challenge her position as Heda.”

Anya growled. “That’s a load of skrish. She is the best damned Commander we have ever had, and they know it.”

“That may be, but before, it was only people near the Mountain who were taken. If people start disappearing from the other clans, and if she can’t stop it, they may lose faith in her abilities to keep everyone safe.”

“So, we just need to figure out who is kidnapping everyone and how they are doing it,” Raven said. “Piece of cake.”

“Raven, please.” Clarke pleaded with Raven to be serious.

“I mean it, Clarke. I have been having some thoughts. I have been researching the archives on my tablet, and I have a few ideas of what might be happening, or at least how the people are being taken, but I want to wait until we get to the sight of the most recent kidnappings before I say anything. If what I am thinking doesn’t pan out, then I won’t have gotten anyone’s hopes up.”

Clarke grunted in frustration. “Fine. Whatever it is you are thinking, I hope you are right. I am going to call it a night.” She grabbed at her chest. “I can feel Lexa’s worry from here.”

Clarke waited for some pithy comment from Raven and was grateful when one didn’t come.

She watched the pair for a few moments before she stole into her tent to see Lexa. She couldn’t help but smile when Anya pulled off her fur mittens and gave them to her mate. It was rare to see Anya being so soft, and she was happy that the alpha had found someone she could be that way with. Raven was the same way. She pretended to have a tough exterior, but inside, she was just as mushy and sentimental as the rest of them. 

The next morning, Octavia was driving while Clarke snuggled with her alpha. Clarke had been surprised when she entered the tent last night to find that Lexa had indeed fallen asleep. It was a fitful sleep, but at least the alpha was resting. The omega quickly undressed and slid in next to her alpha who calmed for a short while, but it wasn’t long before it became clear that Lexa was having a nightmare. Clarke held her close and began to purr. She carded her fingers through Lexa’s hair until the alpha was resting peacefully. She then allowed herself to sleep.

That morning Clarke woke to a deep, nauseating pain in her stomach. It sent running from the tent to expel everything from her stomach. Lexa, who woke as her houmon was sprinting from the tent, had roared for the doctor, waking everyone in the camp, and Eric came running. Jackson explained that it was perfectly normal for a pregnant omega to have morning sickness and that it would pass in a few hours. Lexa had been beside herself with worry and became over-protective. She insisted that Clarke not drive today. Eric had given Clarke a tea that Nyko had sent with him, and it helped ease her stomach enough that she was able to eat some plain porridge before they headed off to Woda’lu. 

So now Octavia was driving and tapping out a beat on the steering wheel with her fingers. It would only be a few more hours before they arrived. 

“You’re not looking green anymore, Clarke. Do you feel better?” Octavia asked.

“Mmm-hmm,” Clarke hummed.

“Afraid if you open your mouth you might puke?” 

“Mmm-hmm.”

Lexa looked alarmed. “Do we need to stop, niron? Maybe you need fresh air.” She peered into the back of the rover to where the doctor sat. “I knew I should have had him make some more of that tea for you.”

“I am fine, Lexa,” Clarke said through gritted teeth. “I am just being cautious.”

“When we get to Woda’lu you should rest. I can handle the meetings, and then I can take a few of the others to investigate the disappearances.”

“No. Just because I threw up twice…”

“It was four times,” Octavia interjected.

“…doesn’t mean that I am not okay. You heard Eric. It is normal, and I feel fine.”

Lexa opened her mouth to interrupt but stopped when Clarke glared at her.

“I might be feeling this way for the next six or seven weeks. I refuse to allow you to hole me up somewhere while you go galivanting across the land trying to figure this out.”

“I know, Clarke. I am sorry. I’m afraid I am not very good at this. I just want what is best for you.” Clarke’s gut wrenched when she felt her alpha worrying again.

Clarke took pity on her alpha. Lexa really did want what was best for her, and it was only a suggestion that she take some rest. She realized that she might be being a little oversensitive, and she shouldn’t take it out on her alpha.

“I’m sorry, too. I am feeling extra sensitive.”

“It’s the hormones,” Octavia said.

Both Lexa and Clarke gave her confused looks. “It’s the hormones,” Octavia said again. “Pregnancy hormones can make you moody, or oversensitive, or extra elated. Sometimes you might feel mentally sluggish and forget things. It’s all normal.”

“How do you know all of this?” Clarke asked.

“I read a lot on the Ark. Bellamy would sneak me books to read from the library, and I had a tablet with all sorts of things on it. I got bored hiding under the floor. Reading was one of the only things I had to do.”

Clarke looked down at the mention of Octavia’s brother. She was the only one who knew what Myra had done. Not even Lexa knew.

“I read that mates stay overprotective during the pregnancy, and that sometimes that gets worse when the pup is born.”

Clarke groaned. She didn’t need Lexa to be even more protective. 

Lexa bumped her with her shoulder. “I promise to try not to be that way, niron.”

The two got lost in each other’s eyes for a while, and they didn’t even notice that Octavia had slowed the rover to a stop until the other omega was climbing out of the vehicle.

Octavia looked over her shoulder at the two of them. “You two are so gross.”

“Says the girl who’s going to go snog Lincoln the first chance she gets,” Clarke mumbled causing Lexa to laugh.

“Come on, niron, we need to grab our stuff. We walk from here.”

It had been decided that it would not be a very good idea to arrive in Woda’lu with a caravan of rovers. Except for the Plains Rider ambassador who was in Polis, and the gona who had taken part in the fall of the Ark, none in Ingranrona had ever seen such tech before. It was Lexa’s strident wish that she could have had her horse, but there was no feasible way to transport the pack of animals with them. The delegation would have to arrive on foot. She firmly believed that the leader would loan them animals if they needed them. Lexa also hoped to purchase several more horses for the Polis Royal Guard, and possibly a foal for Clarke.

Lexa was lost in her thoughts as they all ascended a steep hill. Those scouting ahead stopped their progress and called for their Heda. “Heda, Wanheda, you should see this.” The scout, a man named Minon, had a look of awe in his eyes.

She quickened her stride, Clarke right at her side. What she saw when she got to the top of the crest took her breath away. The land before her gently descended to a large expanse of land, far beyond which stood the village of Woda’lu. It was what stood between her and the village that had her staring in utter astonishment.

Before her stood at least a thousand huge rugged brown beasts. Easily as big as their horses, if not bigger, the animals were grazing on the last of the fall grasses. Beside her, Clarke gasped. 

“Wow,” the omega said.

Octavia and Lincoln came up beside them. “Holy crap,” Octavia yelled. “Those are buffalo.”

Jasper, Jackson, and Raven all came running up the hill, only to skid to a stop when they saw the enormous beasts. For once, the typically loquacious Skai people were rendered mute.

Clarke squeezed Lexa’s hand as the omega stared ahead of her. The alpha turned her head and saw that her houmon had a huge smile plastered on her face. 

“Lexa,” Clarke said, “they are…they’re…just wow.”

Indra finally made her way up the hill and placed a hand on her seken’s (second’s) shoulder startling the young omega from her gawking.

“Heda, do you have any suggestions for how we are going to get past all those beasts? I for one, don’t feel like getting trampled today.”

Lexa groaned. Now what were they going to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buffalo. Who the hell knew that there would be buffalo?
> 
> This is a slower build up than the last story, but I think by chapter 6 or 7 things are going to speed up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am posting this a little later than I had wanted to, but here it is.
> 
> Thank you all for the kudos and comments. Every one of them warms my heart.

Chapter 5

The delegation stared as the huge animals continued to graze, unaware of or unaffected by their presence. Lexa was trying to figure out how to get past all the animals without causing a stampede. 

After a few minutes of deliberation, it seemed that her problem was going to be solved for her. The alpha watched as, far in the distance, a group of riders from the village started to approach on horseback. She could see the typical flowing yellow and green clothing on each of the riders. People often mistook the Plains Riders as being soft because of the casual way they dressed, but Lexa knew that each rider had at least four concealed weapons hidden under their loose clothing. She never had figured out how they hid their weapons under the flowy material.

She watched as the approaching riders practically danced their way between the horde of buffalo before them. A few of the animals raised their heads to watch as the riders passed by, but most ignored their presence. As the riders reached an opening where the buffalo herd thinned, they broke into a gallop and spread out. Heda warned her people to keep their weapons sheathed as the riders surrounded them.

Two riders from the circle surrounding them moved forward. “Heda,” one said as both dipped and turned their heads to her. “You are here far earlier than expected,” the female said as she dismounted. She took three strides over to Lexa and grasped her forearm before pulling the Commander into a tight hug. 

“It is good to see you Dahlia.”

“As it is good to see you, Heda.” 

Clarke watched as the two greeted each other. The omega woman, Dahlia, had a glint in her eye while looking at Lexa that Clarke didn’t like. Costia, who had been standing behind Clarke walked over and gave the woman hug as well. That had Clarke relaxing again. 

“Beautiful Costia, it is good to see you.”

Lexa’s sister smiled. “It has been too long, Dahlia. Hey Sanford,” Costia raised a hand as she called out to the man who still sat on his horse.

“Costia, it is good to see you strikon (little one).”

Clarke noticed a new presence behind her and found that Echo kom Azgeda had moved to stand closer to the group.

Sanford got down from his horse and greeted the Commander and Costia officially. 

Lexa pulled Clarke to her. “I want you two to meet my wife. This is Clarke.”

Just as Clarke was about to be happy that she wasn’t introduced as Wanheda, the two people got on a knee and bowed respectfully. “Wanheda.”

They stood and grasped her forearm. “It is an honor to meet you.”

“The honor is mine,” Clarke began. “Thank you for inviting us. I hope we can help you find your missing people.”

Dahlia turned her head and smirked at Lexa. “So serious. She gets straight to business, doesn’t she?”

Clarke ducked her head, embarrassed. Lexa pulled her wife into her side. “Don’t worry about her, niron. She has always been a tease and a flirt. You will get used to it.”

“And, you have always been too serious. You were never any fun.”

Costia and Sanford began to snicker. “I don’t know,” the man said. “That time Heda pushed you into the mud pit because you tried to kiss her was pretty funny.”

Clarke lifted her head and glared at the woman. “Don’t worry, Wanheda. It was a long time ago,” Sanford said. “Dahlia was going into her first heat and wanted to share it with Lexa. Needless to say; the Commander turned her down flat. I found Dahlia cleaning mud out of places you don’t even want to know about for a week.”

Costia snorted with mirth. 

“What can I say,” Dahlia replied. “The Commander is of unparalleled beauty…well, that is until now. You are very striking, Clarke.” 

Clarke flushed. She didn’t know if she should be angry or embarrassed. She could hear Raven and Jasper behind her, tittering with laughter. Dahlia walked over to them. “What, you don’t think your Queen is gorgeous?”

The two stopped laughing trying to think of an answer without getting into trouble. “I, uh, Clarke isn’t really my type,” Raven said as she grabbed Anya’s hand and kissed it. Jasper, the coward, ran and hid behind Indra.

Dahlia burst out laughing. “You must both be from the Sky. No grounder is so easy to fluster.” She walked to Echo next. She eyed the alpha up and down. “What about you, Azgedan?” Briefly, Clarke wondered how Dahlia knew that Echo was Azgedan since she didn’t bear any of the scars the usual Ice Nation gona did. It must be the clothes, Clarke thought.

Echo stood rigid and unblinking. “What I think of how she looks is of no consequence,” Echo growled out. “She is the Coalition’s Queen and should be treated as such. You are being disrespectful.”

“This one is frosty. I like it. The ice of your nation clearly runs in your veins. Maybe you can come back in the heat of summer and help cool me off.” 

Costia let out a small growl before she could help herself. She tried to cover it up with a cough but wasn’t successful.

The Plains omega went back to Costia, pulled her in and gave her a smacking kiss on the lips. “Don’t worry, strik omega, you know I am only kidding. I would never try to take your alpha from you.”

Echo and Costia looked at each other, then away again, both sporting a new shade of red from the tips of their ears that went well below the neckline of their clothing.

“What,” Costia sputtered, “it isn’t like that, she…”

Echo was staring at the ground, toeing a very interesting rock with her boot. “I…we…” The alpha looked up in alarm at Lexa. “Commander, I swear to you that I have not taken advantage of your sister.”

Lexa, who had done an amazing job of transforming her face into that of the serious and stoic Commander, stared at the alpha, waiting.

Echo shuffled on her feet. “I swear, Heda, I would never…”

Lexa broke out into a smile. “Calm yourself, Echo kom Azgeda. We are just having a little fun. If you and my sis decide to start something, that is none of my business. She can take care of herself. I would recommend that you don’t make her mad, however, over the past year she has become extraordinarily good at using her dagger. She never misses her target.” Lexa made a point of glancing down at Echo’s crotch before looking up and smiling again. Echo had gotten her point.

The group was now divided. When the Plains Riders had arrived on their horses, there were not enough of them to escort all the Commander’s people back to Woda’lu. One of their gona had ridden back to get more horses, but in the meantime, several had graciously given up their beasts so that the Commander and Wanheda could ride back with Dahlia and Sanford. Gustus, Echo, Costia, and Indra were also riding. 

Clarke sat in front of Lexa as their horse carefully made its way through the herd of buffalo. The omega desperately wanted to reach out and touch one, but she had already been warned not to. While the beasts were calm for now, one sudden move could have them stampeding in seconds. Death by hoof was not something she wanted to experience.

“You have known Dahlia and Sanford for a long time,” Clarke stated. 

“I have. We were still young pups when we met, but I was already Commander. Their parents had them come to Polis to train with the other nightbloods. As children of a clan’s leaders, they were allowed to train there. I was bogged down trying to bring the clans together, but I still had much to learn. It was largely because of those two that I didn’t go insane in those first few months of being Heda. They pulled me away from my duties and forced me to have fun.” 

Lexa shifted in the saddle. It was not as comfortable as her own. “Titus had objected strenuously at first, because I would disappear for hours, only to come back a muddy mess most of the time, but nomon convinced him that in order to be a good Commander I had to be able to let off steam once in a while.” 

The two continued to chat as they rode to the village. Clarke took in her surroundings. The field the buffalo roamed was vast. It went as far as the horizon. She could also see that it was dotted by the forms of hundreds of horses in the distance. There were very few trees. As they got closer to the village, she could see that the structures looked like large round tents. 

“Are those tents?” Clarke had never seen a round tent before.

“They are. The people of Ingranrona are somewhat nomadic. They follow the herds and horses during the different seasons, and their yurts, that’s what they call them, are easy to transport and travel with. The ones here are much larger and permanent. The people needed a stable settlement in order to perform trade with the other clans. They are also very good at withstanding the winds that come up during the winter. The plains can be a harsh and hard place to live, almost as hard as Azgeda.”

“You’d never know it from those two.” Clarke pointed at Dahlia and Sanford who were now sharing a horse as they led the way. “They seem so…fluffy.”

Clarke felt Lexa chuckle behind her. “Don’t let it fool you. Those two, and all the Plains Riders, are tough as nails. They are a light-hearted people, but they are as fierce as any of the other warriors in the coalition.”

Sanford and Dahlia, both of whom were in earshot, gave the omega serious, stony glares, until she wiggled in discomfort. Then, they snickered and gave her shit-eating grins.

“You’re an easy mark, Wanheda,” Sanford said, smiling kindly at the omega. “You need to hone your sense of play.” He grabbed his horse’s reins and pushed to the front of the group. Dahlia winked at her from where she sat behind him.

With that comment, Clarke turn in on herself a little. He wasn’t wrong. She didn’t know how to be as playful as everyone else. She had never learned. She had a sense of humor and she could pull off complex pranks, but she wasn’t as quick-witted as everyone around her, and it often took her longer to catch on to a joke than others. Quite honestly, it was rare, but she sometimes still had trouble interacting with others even after all this time on the ground, especially in a group. She was getting better, but often found herself getting nervous when her friends would start to get raucous and cajole with one another. Meetings with the ambassadors were different, probably because there was no fun to be had in those meetings. There she was as dominant and as boisterous as anyone else, if not more so. She was often the only one that could get the others to calm down when there were disagreements. She was also the only one who could get others to listen when Nia was proposing one ridiculous notion or another. She had the distinct feeling that Nia finally decided to return home and leave her ambassadors behind because she kept losing to Wanheda. 

Lexa leaned her head forward and started to rub her nose up and down the shell of Clarke’s ear. “Niron, you need to get out of that giant headspace of yours. He is teasing you, nothing more.”

Clarke sighed. She hoped that one day she would be able to let go of everything from the past that still colored her life today, and she was getting better, but from time to time, she would get hit with a sense of melancholy. It wouldn’t linger, and if Lexa was around, she was always aware of it. It wouldn’t take the alpha long to get her omega laughing and smiling again. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones Octavia had been talking about that had her feeling this way now. Her life would be changing again, very soon. She hoped she was ready. 

As if sensing what was troubling her, long-fingered hands reached around her and started rubbing her belly. The nose that had been against her ear was replaced by gentle teeth, nipping at the sensitive spot just below her ear. It made Clarke shiver.

“My beautiful omega. I never imagined I would have a houmon as radiant and brave as you, and I know, in my heart of hearts, that you will be the most amazing nomon.”

Clarke grabbed Lexa’s wandering hands and kissed them. “I have said it before, and I will say it again. You are biased, my alpha.”

Clarke turned her head to look at her alpha and gasped. It turned out that one of the buffalo had decided to eavesdrop on their conversation. Its giant brown eye was mere inches from the omega’s face. It snorted, hitting the omega with a blob of snot before it dropped its head again to graze again. 

Wanheda gave her own snort and flung the snot back at the animal. “That’s just gross.”

Lexa did her best not to laugh but failed miserably. She didn’t even stop when Clarke wiped the rest of the snot on her alpha’s pants.

After the arrival of the second group to Woda’lu, they all shared a midday meal and talked about the disappearances. Clarke finally got to see just how serious the Plains Riders could be. All levity was left at the door as they discussed the eight abducted people. As with the others, no betas went missing. This time, no others had been left behind. The group that had been taken had been about to embark on a hunting trip together. They left in the dead of night in order to get to the hunting camp by dawn. They had barely made it out of Woda’lu before disappearing.

“Would you mind showing us where they met up and then take us the exact route to where they were taken?” It was Raven who asked. “Oh, and we might need a few brooms and maybe a couple of shovels.”

Looks of confusion passed over the faces of everyone present. “Just trust me, okay. I have a hunch. I might be wrong, but if I am not, your world is about to be rocked.”

Everyone looked to Lexa who nodded. “Let’s go.”

It was easy to track the movements of the hunting party. It wasn’t like they had been trying to cover their trail. The attack was also easily evident. It looked like the eight had been able to put up a better fight than the other abductees. There was no evidence that they had been gassed this time. There had been a fight, and there was even some blood this time, but nothing to indicate that anyone had been grievously injured.

Raven grabbed a broom and started sweeping feverishly where the trail disappeared. Nothing became evident and the beta became frustrated. She shoved a broom into Anya and Echo’s hands. “Help me,” she said. She pointed to where she wanted them to sweep. She pointed at Clarke and had her grab a shovel. “I want you to bang the metal tip on the ground every few feet. Pay attention if anything feels off.”

Clarke did as she said. She lifted the shovel and let it drop to the ground with a thud. She repeated the action until the thud turned into a thunk. Raven was already on her before she could say anything. The broom bristles went flying across the ground as she swept. Clarke joined in and pushed the loose dirt away with her shovel. She squeaked when her shovel hit metal.

“Over here, Raven.” Clarke started to clear dirt with her fingers.

Lexa gentled a hand over her head “Let me do that for you, niron. I don’t want dirt to get under your bandage and infect your new tattoo.” 

Because of the news of the missing people in Ingranrona, Clarke had not been able to get the elaborate tattoo that she wanted. There was no time, so she decided to honor her wife and got a tattoo to match the symbol of the flame. She had wanted it at the apex of her spine, like her alpha’s, but the tattooist refused stating because of her pregnancy she could not place it there. The woman, Milo, mumbled something about the spine providing all wisdom from the head to growing children whereas the heart provided all courage. She would not risk accidentally disrupting the spine and possibly causing Wanheda’s pups harm. Privately, Jackson assured her that she would be fine, but Clarke chose to heed the woman’s warning and had the tattoo placed on her left wrist instead.

Clarke stepped back and let Lexa take over. Between Lexa and Raven, they unearthed a large round metal object that seemed to be embedded in the earth.

“Eureka,” Raven yelled. “I knew it. They are taking them underground.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are going to be speeding up next chapter as our kru starts to figure out what is happening. Then in chapter 7, the wild ride begins.
> 
> As always, I would love to hear your thoughts.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. it seems I can't help myself, and I am still posting twice a week. I hope I can keep it up. I still want to try and write a few of my other ideas, but then I feel guilty and keep writing this...which I love. Ugh, so many ideas and so little time. 
> 
> Anyhow, things are getting exciting. Happy reading.

Chapter 6

“I knew it,” Raven yelled excitedly. Everyone else looked perplexed. “I knew they were taking them underground.” 

“But how?” Octavia wondered out loud. 

“Let’s get this lifted, and then I will explain.”

Dahlia sent two gona back to the village to procure a couple of crow bars. They came back and easily lifted the metal plate. They also carried multiple lanterns.

Jasper and Octavia looked down the hole. “They are using sewer tunnels?”

Raven had that gleam in her eye. “Not sewer tunnels. Rail tunnels.”

“Rail?” Lexa asked.

“You know, the subway. Underground trains.”

The grounders still didn’t know what Raven was talking about, so she grabbed her tablet. Jasper had been holding it for her. The Plains Riders watched curiously as the tablet came to life. They had never seen such technology before. “I was looking at the old maps from before Praimfaya when trying to map out the best route to get here so that we wouldn’t be on the road for weeks, and a map of the national subway system popped up.” She passed around the tablet so that everyone could see. “Before the bombs dropped, there was an extensive high-speed rail network all across the country. It was the most economical way to travel if you couldn’t afford to fly.”

Anya and Lexa looked skeptical. “The tunnels, at least those around Polis, are impassable. Many have caved in. It just can’t be possible that the tunnels are clear.” Lexa said.

“And,” Clarke said, “we have been assuming that Mount Weather is responsible for the kidnappings, but we are hundreds of miles away from the Mountain. Everything we know about them tells us that there is no way they could travel this far, so if it is them, someone is helping them.”

Raven’s eyes still sparkled. “Yeah, but they have had generations to clear the tunnels, at least around the Mountain.”

“I have been in the reaper tunnels near Maun-de. There are miles of cleared tunnels around it.”

“What the hell, Lincoln,” Octavia said. “You never told me you had been in those tunnels before. You could have been killed by the ripas.”

“I am one of Heda’s scouts. Of course, I have been in the tunnels. We have been trying to find a way into the Mountain for years.” Lincoln cupped Octavia’s cheek. “I was very careful, and now that I am mated, I won’t be scouting the tunnels anymore. Heda does not risk mated scouts in the tunnels. The risk is too high.”

Lexa cleared her throat, getting everyone’s attention. “We are getting off course. Clearly Raven is onto something. Whether it is Mount Weather or not, it seems that whoever is taking our people probably is using the tunnels. We won’t know until we investigate. It could be that this was just a lucky find because Raven had the map, so she knew what to look for. For now, we need to see if the tunnels are even passable. Then we can take it from there and try to figure out who is responsible.”

Gustus, Indra and several other warriors were the first to lower themselves into the tunnels. Once it was clear that it was safe, Lexa, Clarke, and the others followed.

It was dark and cramped, and it made Clarke nervous. She lifted her lantern back towards the opening above her. “So, I have a question. How have they been covering their tracks up above? We were lucky to find the…what did you call it Raven?”

“A manhole cover.”

“The manhole cover, right. So how come we didn’t find one at the other sites? Do you think they have someone above ground to hide their trail? Lifting a giant metal cover and shoving eight people through it should have left at least some mess behind. This one was covered back up and not even visible.”

“It seems likely,” Anya said. “So, that means if it is the Maunon, then they do have help. They can’t breathe the air out here, and the few times we have spotted them, they are always wearing those protective suits. Raven told me that the suits must protect them from our air, and that the tanks attached to their suits only allow them to travel for so long. Eventually they have to go back, or they will suffocate when the tanks empty.”

Lexa scrubbed her face with her hand. “Let’s just worry about one thing at a time and see where this tunnel goes. We will worry about who is helping the Mountain men later.”

“Yes, Heda.”

They had been walking for about forty-five minutes. Lexa was being overprotective and kept Clarke close to her. The omega didn’t mind at all. The tunnels were freaking her out. She could hear dripping waters, and her nose was clogged with the smell of mold and stale air. Lexa kept teasing her because the omega kept sniffing at Lexa’s clothing, trying to keep her mate’s scent in her nose.

“It doesn’t bother you?” Clarke asked. “The smell, I can’t stand it.”

“It isn’t that bad, niron.”

“It is.”

“Maybe it’s your pregnancy nose,” Anya teased.

“There is no such thing as a pregnancy nose,” Clarke protested.

Lexa gave a tight smile at the teasing. Everyone was nervous being in the dark, damp tunnels. The only one who seemed at ease was Lincoln. His time in the reaper tunnels near the Mountain made it easier for him to tolerate this.

The tunnel was black except for the light cast by torches and lanterns. Raven stated that she had flashlights, but they had been left behind in the rovers. Sanford promised to ride her out there to get them if they became necessary.

As they walked, Lexa could sense that the tunnel had gradually been sloping down, but Lexa wasn’t alarmed until they came to a set of steps. Looking down, she could see nothing. The darkness below them was absolute. She held up her hand to stop the group.

Octavia was about to speak, but the Commander gestured for silence. The alpha strained to listen. It was faint at first, but Lexa could swear she heard a very low rumbling sound. She looked to the others and a few nodded to confirm that they were hearing what she was. They all remained rooted in their spots. After several seconds, the noise began to grow. It was a noise unlike any they had ever heard before. 

Clarke grabbed Lexa’s wrist when she started to feel a breeze in the previously stagnant air. Her heart thumped in her chest as the noise steadily grew louder and louder. The force of the wind also picked up. Everyone looked around when suddenly the noise was roaring past them. The wind buffeted at their faces. Thwoom…thwoom…thwoom. Just as quickly as the noise came upon them it was gone. A faint rumble could be heard until the noise completely disappeared, and the movement of the air ceased.

“What the hell was that?” Clarke asked, a little shaken.

All eyes looked to Raven, who was just as stunned as the rest. “Don’t look at me. I have no idea. Just because I found the tunnel doesn’t mean I know what the hell is going on down there.”

Lexa hadn’t moved or gotten distracted by everyone’s surprise. She was still listening intently. “There is something down there.”

All talking ceased. Heads swiveled, and eyes strained, to look down into the unknown depths hidden in the darkness below. Clarke, who had never let go of Lexa, squeezed the alpha’s wrist when she heard a scraping noise. It was followed by another…and another, almost like something was being dragged across the ground. The hair on the back of the omega’s neck was now standing on end, and she unconsciously reached for her weapon. The others were doing the same.

Straining to see, Clarke grabbed the torch that Anya was holding and threw it as far down the stairs as she could. A small amount of relief washed over her when it didn’t gutter out.

The small orb of orange light the torch created exposed another set of stairs that went further down to the left. 

Dahlia stepped up next to Clarke and Lexa. “What do we do now?” she whispered.

Heda looked at everyone and told them to hold their positions. “Something is down there, and it is getting closer. Be ready for anything.”

The gona who were already flanking their Commander and Queen stood rigid and tense. It was agonizing for everyone, waiting for something to happen. 

The noise changed. Scrape. Thump. Scrape. Thump. Whatever was down there was coming up the stairs.

“Ste ogud (be ready),” Lexa commanded.

Clarke held her breath then gasped in horror when the faces of at least a dozen reapers appeared. From the sounds of it, there were more behind the ones that could be seen. Blood shot eyes gleamed in the torch light. The ripa leading the group bared rotting yellow teeth when it caught sight of the people standing above it. A ferocious snarl was the only warning they had before it and the others attacked.

Clarke was sweating and covered in blood. She had already killed at least three ripas, and everyone else was engaged in their own fights. She was fighting back to back with Lexa as what felt like a never-ending stream of reapers kept coming at them. 

Raven and Jasper were being protected by Anya, Indra, Gustus, and Sanford. Dahlia was dancing from fight to fight, lashing out with her sword and taking down ripas left and right.

“Where the fuck did they all coming from?” Raven yelled to no one in particular. She got no answer. The tunnel had widened out to about thirty feet wide, but with all the fighting, it felt like very close quarters. It gave the reapers the advantage. 

Clarke swung out her blade, leaving a gash in one ripa’s abdomen, but it kept coming. It lashed out with its own weapon, but she was able to dodge away only to find herself facing three female reapers. They all snarled at her, then scented the air. They tipped their heads and looked at her, then her abdomen. It was almost as if a flash of understanding crossed their faces. They backed away from Clarke and picked different targets to attack. The original, male, attacker rounded on Clarke, but after her initial shock of the female ripas backing off, she was ready. Leading with a war cry, she swung her sword in a mighty arc, beheading the doomed creature. As the grisly scene played out, Clarke caught an unreadable look from Echo. The Azgedan had just witnessed the three ripas backing off from Clarke. The alpha arched an eyebrow at her and turned to engage in her own fight. The alpha was fierce, and Clarke noted that while her fighting style was completely different than that of Trikru, her brutish moves were no less effective. Her opponent fell after only a few strikes of the Azgedan’s sword.

Clarke then turned and watched as Lexa fought off two of the female reapers that had left her alone. Lexa was brandishing her dual swords. Momentarily distracted, she was lost in watching her houmon gracefully fighting off the reapers. It was so very different than what she had just witnessed with Echo. They both attacked Lexa at the same time, but it was almost as if the swords in each of her hands had a life of their own. While the sword in Lexa’s left hand was swinging down to slice into one ripa’s shoulder, the one in the right was slashing horizontally to disembowel the other. Clarke still didn’t know how Lexa did it. Somehow, she was able to split her focus between the movements of more than one adversary at a time. Rounding to face her wife, Lexa suddenly jabbed forward with the weapon in her right hand, narrowly missing Clarke and stabbing a reaper in the throat who had been coming up behind the distracted omega. 

“M-mochof (thank you), Heda,” Clarke squeeked out. 

It was then that Clarke saw the third female ripa. It was coming at Lexa from the side. Clarke grabbed a dagger from her waist, threw and hit it in the eye. The ripa dropped, instantly dead. 

In an impressive move, Clarke watched Octavia as she ran to defend Lincoln from the biggest ripa she had ever seen. The younger omega ran up to the monster from behind, slid to her knees and went right underneath it, cutting the tendons in its ankles as she slid past. As soon as she was clear, she stood, pushed Lincoln out of the way and buried her sword deep in its chest. The last of the reapers had finally fallen.

Before Clarke knew what was happening, Lexa was in front of her and using both of her hands to check the omega for injuries.

“I’m fine, Lex. Really, I am fine.” The alpha didn’t stop her inspection until she was satisfied, and then she pulled her wife into a tight embrace, ignoring the blood and grime that smeared between them.

“I hate to break up your love fest,” Indra began, “but what do we do now?”

The two pulled apart and Clarke almost threw up when she heard the sucking sound of their ruined clothes as they separated from each other. She sincerely hoped that they weren’t going further into the tunnel right now. If she had to stay in her clothes and armor, that had bits of reaper all over them, she really would be sick. She wondered when she had become such a wuss.

They didn’t leave the tunnel right away. Heda had them pile the bodies, twenty-six of them, on one side of the tunnel, then she sent several others down the stairs to make sure there were no more reapers. When she got the all-clear, the rest moved down into the dark unknown. Anya picked up the torch that Clarke had thrown earlier, amazed that it was still partially lit. The alpha touched it to the tip of one of the torches being carried by the person next to her and it blazed back to life.

Jasper carefully made his way down the stairs. He looked back up at the pile of bodies and hesitated. “They won’t come back to life, will they?”

Raven snorted. “They aren’t zombies, goggle-boy.”

When they finally descended the rest of the steps, Clarke looked around, bug-eyed. The steps didn’t lead to more tunnels, they lead to a large room with rounded ceilings. The walls were covered with cracking tiles, and at the far end of the room was another set of stairs. She gasped when one of the gona almost fell onto a section of the room that was lower than where they stood. The lack of light was making it hard to discern what she was seeing. 

Raven grabbed a lantern from someone so that she now had two in her hands. She carefully approached the edge of where the gona almost fell. She extended the lanterns in front of her then slowly moved them so that she could see better.

“I think we are standing in a subway platform.”

“Explain,” Lexa said.

“Remember I told you about the high-speed rail lines from before the bombs? Well, this platform is probably where the trains stopped so passengers could get on and off the train.” Raven pointed with one of the lanterns. “Look down there. Those are the train tracks. Trains would come, load up with people, then go on their merry way to the next stop.”

“Where does it lead?” Clarke wondered.

“Who knows? I might be able to pull up a more detailed map on my tablet…hey, where is my tablet?”

Anya held it out to her. “You dropped it during the fighting, strik sora (little bird).”

Raven’s relief was evident. She couldn’t live without her tablet. She had practically had it in her hands since she had gotten it working over a year ago.

“What I want to know,” Indra said, “is how the ripas got here. They have never been seen more than a few miles from Maud-de. How did they get here?”

“I think that needs to be a question for another day,” Lexa said. “It must be pretty late in the day by now. We are filthy, some are injured, and we have no provisions. Tomorrow we will come back and see if we can figure everything out. Raven, tonight, maybe you can do more research and see if you can figure out exactly where this tunnel leads, and maybe by then we will figure out how the reapers got here. Until then we keep the opening to this tunnel guarded. No one goes back in until the morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter, and I am really excited to post the next chapter, but I will wait until Saturday or Sunday. I can't get too far ahead of myself. I am writing chapter 8 now. I think I am loving that one too.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday Funday. I had the good fortune to get away for the weekend, and am sitting in a hotel room while posting this. It is amazing what just a couple of days away from home can do for the spririt. Anyhow, here is the next chapter, and I am eager to see what your thoughts are on this one. Something big is about to happen. ;)
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read this story. Your support, comments, feedback, and kudos are appreciated. :)

Chapter 7

Clarke had been eternally grateful to get out of her blood-sodden clothes the night before. It had still been light, just barely, when they climbed out of the tunnels and replaced the cover to the hole; Dahlia sent for four men to ensure no one disturbed the sight. Everyone had gone their separate ways to clean up then re-converged over dinner. 

It was a quiet affair. Raven tapped quietly on her tablet as everyone else ate in relative silence. It wasn’t until they were above ground again that everyone realized how tired they were. It had been a long trek to the subway platform, and after the fight with the reapers, the trek back felt even longer. The food helped revive them some, but it was still a somber affair.

“Do you think the Maunon know we are here?” Clarke asked as she took the last bite of her meal. “I mean, how is it possible that we just got here, and reapers show up? That can’t be a coincidence.”

Clarke saw Echo look at her. She hadn’t had a chance to tell Lexa yet about the way the female reapers reacted to her. Only Echo knew.

“No,” Lexa stated, “it certainly doesn’t feel like a coincidence.”

“But how did they get here?” Indra wondered again.

Raven was now tapping furiously on her tablet, mumbling to herself. Most ignored her because it wasn’t unusual behavior for her, but as her mutterings got louder, they started paying attention. The beta was staring intently at the screen in her hands repeating, “That noise. I have heard it before.”

They could hear a video playing, and Clarke sucked in a breath, holding it. The noise coming from the tablet was almost exactly what they had heard in the tunnel. 

“What is that, Raven?” She asked. 

“I…it just can’t be it,” Raven said vaguely. “It’s it, but I don’t understand how it is possible.”

“Raven!” Lexa growled out.

The beta looked up from her tablet then. “That sound we heard. I think it was a train.”

Before the questions she knew would come flying came, she held up the screen and pressed play. It was a video of a subway train passing through a station very similar to the one they had been in earlier. There were people standing on the platform, hair and clothes billowing in the air disturbed by the trains passing. Clarke watched in fascination as it became clear that the breeze she had felt in the tunnel at the top of the stairs had been caused by a train. 

The room erupted in chatter and disbelief. “It isn’t possible,” someone said. “Trains don’t exist,” someone else said. “If it was a train, and the reapers were on it, how did they get off? The train didn’t stop,” another said.

“And, how did they know how and where to get off in the first place?” Clarke asked, stopping all other conversation.

They ended up talking for hours, much later into the night than Lexa had wanted. She could see the fatigue and fear in Clarke’s eyes and wanted nothing more than to take her wife to bed and hold her tight. 

They had talked and argued and planned until Lexa finally brought everything to a halt. “While it seems likely that could have been a train, there is nothing we can do about it tonight. We will reconvene in the morning. We need to get back into that tunnel. We can worry later about how someone got the tunnels clear and trains running. Right now, we need to focus on finding our people and ensuring that no one else gets taken. I think it is safe to assume that they were taken into the tunnels, and I also think it is fairly safe to assume the Maunon are responsible especially with the appearance of the reapers this far from home.

Tomorrow we will lead a group back into the tunnels, and Sanford, I want you to try and figure out who it could be here that helped hide the trail. Whoever cleared their tracks must be here somewhere. There is no way that they were able to get back underground, at least not through the opening we found. 

Raven, if you have another tablet, I want you to give it to Jasper and show him the maps you found. He will stay up here with Sanford, Gustus, and a few of the others to see if there are any other openings nearby that the person could have escaped into.”

Jasper fidgeted with the ever-present goggles he had around his neck. “Um, Heda, do you think I am the right man for the job?”

Lexa gave him a tight smile. “Next to Raven, you are the only one who has a real grasp on how to use her tech and read the maps. I am confident that you are the perfect man for the job.”

Jasper blushed and thanked Heda for the opportunity. He couldn’t wait to tell Monty and Harper when they finally got back to Polis.

Clarke snorted, trying to get the smell of the tunnel out of her nose. The dead reapers weren’t helping things, and her earlier morning sickness had left a lingering taste in her mouth that she hadn’t been able to clear. To top it off, she was achier from yesterday’s fight than she had expected. She groaned and arched her back. Lexa, ever-present, reached out and touched her back, rubbing soothing circles on it.

The alpha had commanded Jackson to keep close to Clarke as well. She could see that Clarke was uncomfortable today, and she wanted the doctor near if something happened. They all halted at the top of the stairs just as they had the day before. Straining ears listened for anything unusual, but there was nothing. Several warriors went down the stairs first, then indicated that it was safe to descend. 

To say they were shocked when they entered the platform was an understatement. A perfectly preserved train sat on the tracks. It was dark, but the doors were open. There was no sign that it was going to move. Three cars made up the train, and after several warriors inspected it, they found it empty and remarkably clean. 

“Why is it here?” Costia wondered.

“Maybe they sent it to pick up the reapers?” Echo questioned. Warily, the alpha stepped onto the train. She looked around for any clues the other warriors might have missed. 

Costia couldn’t help herself and asked the alpha to be careful. The train was an unknown, and she felt like it could be a trap, she just didn’t know how. The alpha winked at the omega before she kept looking. Lexa was impressed with the thoroughness of Azgedan alpha. It was clear that the alpha was used to searching for things, and it made Lexa wonder exactly what her role to the Ice Queen was.

“Heda, I found this.” Echo was holding up an item that made Clarke shiver. She was very familiar with what the alpha was holding in her hand. Lexa was not. Raven, who had been standing back with Jackson, ran into the train and grabbed the item out of Echo’s hands.

“It’s an empty syringe. It has been used.” Raven said. She held it up to the light and saw that a small amount of whatever was inside remained. Impulsively, she pulled out the plunger and took a lick at the red fluid. The face she made at the taste would have been comical if the effects hadn’t been so immediate. Her eyes got glassy and she abruptly sat on one of the seats in the subway car. “Whoa,” she said. “Whatever the hell was in this syringe packs a hell of a punch, and that is from just a tiny taste. I can’t imagine what an entire syringe full injected into a vein would do.” She trailed off, looking dazed. The beta waved her hand in front of her face and started to giggle.

Anya, who was extremely disturbed by what was happening to her mate, jumped onto the train. Without thought, Lexa, Costia, and Clarke automatically followed. As soon as they did, the doors slammed shut, the lights came on, and the train lurched into motion. Lexa and Anya ran to the doors to try and pry them open, but it was no use. Costia’s first instinct had been right. It was a trap. Lexa cursed herself for her own stupidity. She hadn’t ever been so careless.

Clarke ran to the window at the back of the train car and watched in horror as Dahlia and others scrambled helplessly to the edge of the platform only to watch as the train disappeared into the darkness with their Commander and Queen on board.

Raven gave them all a dopey grin, “Looks like it’s just us girls.” 

Clarke started to hyperventilate but calmed when she was bathed in soothing pheromones from her alpha and Costia. “Thanks,” she muttered.

Everyone looked at one another, except for Raven, who had apparently fallen asleep because of the drug in her system. Clarke could feel their unsettled nerves but noticed that she didn’t feel any from Echo. The alpha was remarkably calm.

“What do we do now?” she asked.

“There is nothing we can do, niron. We are well and truly trapped. We just have to be ready for anything when the train stops.”

“What if it is leading us to the Mountain?” Clarke asked fearfully. “We can’t let them take us, Lex.”

“Don’t worry, niron, we will figure this out. We don’t even know that this train is headed to Maun-de.”

“No, you don’t understand,” Clarke said frantically, starting to hyperventilate again. “Just like it seemed like the reapers knew what they were doing when they took the bag with my stuff, the female reapers that attacked yesterday somehow knew that I was pregnant. They stopped attacking after they scented me. They knew, Lexa. What if the Mountain knows, too? I can’t let the Maunon hurt our pups, Lex.”

“I saw it,” Echo interrupted. “As soon as they figured out that she was with child, the female reapers backed off. The male reapers didn’t seem aware.”

“WHY DIDN’T EITHER OF YOU TELL ME THIS?” Lexa yelled, dominant pheromones choking Echo. The alpha growled but exposed her neck to Lexa in submission. 

“It was not my place, Heda,” Echo gritted out. “I thought Wanheda would tell you.”

Lexa turned her glare to Clarke. “I didn’t want to worry you. You have so much on your mind already… I’m sorry, Lex, really.” 

Lexa took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She looked to Anya who just shrugged as she held her sleeping mate. 

She looked at the ceiling of the rail car then back at Clarke and Echo. “It doesn’t matter now. We need to focus on getting off the train in one piece when it stops. We need to be ready for a fight. Until then, I suggest we rest. It doesn’t appear that the train is going to stop any time soon.”

“I told you, you should have let me bring some bombs. I could have made whoever is at the end of the line go boom.” Raven mumbled, not so asleep after all.

They sat trapped in the train for hours. Everyone was nervous except for Echo. She was uncommonly at ease, just as Clarke had observed earlier. Costia asked her about her unusual demeanor. Echo told her that she didn’t see any reason to fret over something that was out of their control. Clarke had overheard her and didn’t buy it. The alpha was too calm. Clarke thought she had even spied a self-satisfied smirk on the Azgedan’s face. She just couldn’t be sure. 

After realizing the train was not going to stop, everyone had taken a seat, but after a while, Clarke began to squirm. She needed a bathroom, and she needed it quick. They had no way of knowing how long they would be stuck, and there was no way her bladder was going to wait much longer to relieve itself. 

“Are you okay, niron?”

“I…uh…I’m going to burst if I don’t get off this train soon.”

The Commander sprung up from her seat to look for something to ease Clarke’s discomfort. She looked around for anything Clarke could use to relieve herself. 

Echo got up and walked to the front door of the train. She tried the door. Nothing had happened when Costia tried it earlier, but now it opened with a soft hiss. She took a step onto the platform connecting the car they were in to the one in front of them. She pushed on that door and it opened as well. She disappeared into the rail car. Lexa wasn’t far behind. 

“Be careful, Lexa,” Clarke called out to her.

“I will, ai hodnes, I will be right back.”

She was about to follow Echo into the car, but the Azgedan reappeared. “There is a lavatory in this car. You can go in there, ai Haiplena (my Queen).”

Lexa went to inspect for herself, then came back to collect her wife. Anya followed, not wanting her Commander and Queen to be in the next rail car on their own.

When they came back, Raven was awake and pulling food from her pack. Everyone knew she had a propensity to eat when she was nervous. To Lexa and Clarke’s delight, she also pulled out one of the long-range radios. The beta saw them looking hopefully at it but told them it wouldn’t work in the tunnels. “The second we make it above ground, I will see if I can make it work,” Raven assured.

“If we ever make it above ground,” Costia grumbled.

Echo put a hand on her shoulder. “I assure you, you will see the sun again, Costia kom Trikru. I swear it.”

“That’s an awfully lofty promise to be making,” Raven snarked.

“I do not think so,” Echo said. “I make sure to always keep my promises.” There was that self-satisfied smirk again, Clarke noticed.

The brakes on the train started to squeal as they went around a bend. The train was slowing. Everyone shot to their feet. They couldn’t really see in front of them since they were in the last car of the train, but they could easily see that they were not pulling up to a platform like the one they had been taken from. As the train finished rounding the bend, the walls opened up into an enormous cavern. Raven was afraid, but her brain couldn’t help but delight in the fact that she could see stalagmites and stalactites jutting from the rock floor and ceiling like giant wolf teeth.

As the train came to a stop, they could finally see more. The cavern was impressively lit with torches and candles. The effect was beautiful, but none of them had time to appreciate the beauty. All but Echo had drawn their weapons, waiting for the doors to open.

Clarke looked over her shoulder at the weaponless alpha. “Echo?”

“Do not worry, Wanheda,” Echo said calmly. “There is no reason to fear.”

Lexa was also about to address the alpha, wondering what the hell was going on, but the doors of the subway car began to open. Costia and Anya stepped, defensively, in front of Heda and Wanheda. When the doors opened, the sight before them had their jaws dropping. At least two hundred people were on their knees, kneeling before Lexa and Clarke. 

“Welcome to the Ona Graun (Under Ground),” Echo stated proudly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas about this one.
> 
> Also, as soon as this posts, I will be posting the first chapter of a new story called Modified Independence. It's a modern AU and completely different from this story. No A/B/O. I hope you will all check it out.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am excited for this chapter. We learn a little bit more about Echo in this chapter. I think she's going to develop onto one of my favorites.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left comments, kudos, feedback and support. This fandom is the absolute best.

Chapter 8

Lexa and Clarke were growling. Costia looked crestfallen, and Anya and Raven were stunned. By the looks of it Echo had betrayed them.

Echo went to push past them and exit the train, but Lexa whirled on her and blasted her with her pheromones, stopping the alpha in her tracks and bringing her to her knees. Lexa held her sword to her neck. 

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now, Azgedan.” 

“My life doesn’t matter. It’s the lives of my people that do, Heda, and they need your help. You see, I am not Echo kom Azgeda, I am Echo kom Ona Graun, and I live to serve my people.”

In her anger, Lexa pushed the sword into Echo’s flesh, drawing blood. Only Clarke’s steadying hand on her shoulder stopped the Commander from sliding her blade into the alpha’s throat.

“Lexa, turn around and look at her people,” Clarke said softly.

Lexa held her blade still for a moment longer and leveled her most menacing glare at Echo. “Don’t you dare move.”

To everyone’s surprise, Raven moved over to Echo and kept a blade, hidden until now, trained on the alpha.

Lexa turned, still in the doorway of the train and faced the people who were still kneeling on the ground. Her expression softened when she looked closely. She could see that they were haggard and disheveled. Most were too skinny. Lexa scented the air. Next to the dank mustiness of the cavern, Lexa was only able to discern the faint smell of betas. There wasn’t a single alpha or omega in the crowd. Her gaze looked at each face. Not a single person before her seemed to be a threat. They were all looking toward the train car with such hope in their eyes. When she looked more closely, she realized that while they were all looking in the direction of the train, their gazes were specifically fixed on Clarke.

Lexa shifted uncomfortably on her feet. “Please rise. There is no need to kneel,” Heda said, but no one moved.

Costia nudged Clarke in the side. “Uh, Clarke, they are all staring at you. I think they are waiting for you to speak.”

Clarke turned to Lexa and the alpha raised her eyebrows and shrugged. She wasn’t sure how to proceed with these people. She hadn’t known they existed until moments ago, and since they weren’t her people, she wasn’t comfortable commanding them. 

Clarke spoke up. “People of the Ona Graun, please rise. There is no need to kneel before us.” The people started to get to their feet. “Is one of you the leader?” The omega watched as a wizened old man approached. Upon closer inspection, Clarke realized that he may have been younger than he appeared. He had pale leathered skin that looked like it had never seen the sun. Looking past him, it looked as if none of the people had ever stood in the sun. She also realized that none of the men before her had facial hair. Interesting.

He reached out his hand, and Clarke expected him to give the usual grounder greeting, but instead, he carefully grasped her hand and shook it. He then turned to Echo and held out his arms. Raven didn’t know what to do so she lowered her blade. The alpha rushed into the proffered extremities.

“Nontu,” Echo exclaimed., “it is good to be home. It has been a long time.” She turned to Clarke with watery eyes. “Wanheda, this is Ilex. My father. Nontu,” she pointed at Lexa, “this is the Commander of the twelve clans.”

Costia walked up to the alpha and poked a hard finger into her shoulder. “You have a lot of explaining to do, alpha.” She then walked back into the train and gracelessly plunked herself down into one of the seats, pouting. 

Anya glowered at the alpha. “This reunion is touching, really,” she said sarcastically, “and I realize that there is a lot that we obviously do not know, but right now I want to know why you let your jokking reapers attack us before deciding to kidnap us.” The alpha huffed out in frustration and threw her hands in the air. “And, where the jok are we?”

Ilex looked alarmed. “Reapers? We didn’t send reapers.” He looked frightened by the idea. “Wanheda, Commander, if you would, we were all just about to sit and eat a meal. Please join us, and then if it is alright with you, we can explain to you why it is I had my daughter bring Wanheda, and the rest of you here.”

It was taking everything in the Commander to keep herself under control. It was rare that she was ever taken by surprise, but everything about this day had been surprising…and unsettling for the alpha. Lexa wanted to respond, but it didn’t seem that it was her input that Ilex was requesting. For some reason, these people knew about Clarke and her status. For all intents and purposes, Clarke needed to be the Commander for now. The alpha was willing to sit back and let her omega take the lead as long as Clarke was safe. She would bide her time to see how all of this was going to play out. By no means did that mean she was letting her guard down. She didn’t know these people, and they would need to earn her trust.

Ilex led the entourage past many of his people. Several reached out and touched Clarke with whispers of Wanheda. As the group walked, with Ilex and Echo in the lead, they peered at their surroundings. Raven couldn’t hide her wonder at the cavern before her. The others were only slightly better at controlling their emotions. 

The cavern was so large that one quarter of Polis could have fit in it. The people had gone about the day after Wanheda had released them from kneeling on the ground. Some were sweeping, others were preparing food, and others carried farm implements. They all swiveled their heads to see where the people with the equipment were going. Echo looked to where they were gazing and explained.

“They are going to tend the fields. We grow most of our food down here.” She pointed to a spot in the distance. “Through that opening is another cave, but the ceiling must have caved in a long time ago. It is one of the few places down here that gets any sun. Years ago, the people that could go above ground carried fertile ground down here so that crops could be grown. Now, everyone you see down here has to tend to the crops in the shadows or after the sun has gone down. Most can’t even tolerate even a few minutes of sunlight.” 

“What happened to your people, Echo?” Clarke asked. 

The alpha shrugged, like she didn’t know, but she answered anyway. “I think it must be like the people of Maud-de. When Praimfaya hit, our people sought refuge underground. Over time, while trying to survive, we became unable to tolerate living above. When one of them tries to venture outside, they burn horribly. Blisters form on the skin, and some have even gone blind.”

“What about you?” Costia asked, still none too pleased at the situation the alpha had led them into. Her tone was bitter. “You seem to tolerate the surface just fine.”

Echo looked at Costia and gave her an apologetic look. “I think you all have already figured it out, at least the Commander has. Everyone down here is a beta. I am the only alpha that has ever been born down here. As it is, very few children have been born in the past twenty years. For some reason, I am the only one who can tolerate being above ground.” The alpha’s eyes grew sad. “My people are going to die out if we can’t figure out how to either live above ground again or bear pups.”

Costia couldn’t hide her surprise. She moved her hand to entwine her fingers with Echo’s. “I’m sorry. It sounds like your people have been through a lot.”

Ilex had stopped moving. They had reached an open area lit by sun that steaked in through a crack high in the surface above them. No one sat directly in the sun’s rays. He gestured for them to sit at a crude table that looked like it had been built from scraps. Smooth benches had been carved out of the stone walls. 

Clarke watched as the people went through a line and got their food. The portions were meager, but she figured food had to be rationed. It looked mostly like vegetables on their plates. There was very little meat. 

She jumped when a plate, heaping with food and even a roll, was placed in front of her. Everyone else got the same, small portions as the others, even the Commander. The woman who had served her waited for Clarke to try the food, but the omega hesitated. She felt guilty being given so much to eat when everyone else had so little. 

Costia gave her a look and kicked her under the table. “Don’t offend them, Clarke,” she whispered.

Clarke gave in a took a bite. “Mmm, this is good.” It really was. The woman smiled and walked away to serve her people. Everyone then ate in silence. Clarke could feel the tension and anxiety washing off Lexa. She quickly finished her meal and turned to Ilex.

“So,” Clarke began, “I think it is about time you explained what we are doing here. I don’t think you realize the chaos that has likely transpired above the ground. You have kidnapped not only the Commander, but also the Queen. The coalition will not look favorably upon you.”

Ilex sighed, then took a deep breath. “You will have to forgive us, Wanheda. When we heard that you and the Commander were travelling. We saw an opportunity and we took it. We understand that this may not have been the best way to go about this, but it was our one shot.”

Lexa and Anya growled lowly.

“Please,” Ilex said, “I understand how this looks, but let me explain.”

The low rumbling stopped, and they waited, not so patiently, for the beta to continue.  
It was many years ago, when Echo was just a young pup, that the people of the Ona Graun realized that they were dying out. The alphas and omegas had passed, and only betas remained except for Echo. She was the solitary alpha in a group numbering over two hundred people. No one knew what was happening. All they knew was that birth rates had dropped, and only betas were being born. 

Echo had been young, but she volunteered to go above ground to try and help her people. Initially, the plan was for her to bring food and supplies, and hunt for her people, but that changed when the young alpha was captured by Azgendan scouts. It was nine months before she was able to sneak away and get back to her people. By then, she was training to be a spy for Queen Nia. 

She wanted to stay with her people, but Ilex and Echo both realized that as a spy for Azgeda, Echo would be afforded certain luxuries and freedom of movement that the rest of the Ona Graun didn’t have. She started being able to smuggle goods from Azgeda and the other clans down to her people. She was able to bring them things that they couldn’t grow like sacks of grain and fresh fruit. She also brought items such as oil for cooking and lighting torches, furs, clothes. These were all things that the people needed to survive, and while initially she could only bring these things in small quantities, every little thing she was able to give them bought her people another day of survival.

After they realized that the people of Maun-de had successfully gotten a subway car to run, the people quickly figured out a way to clear more tunnels and commandeer the train for themselves. The Mountain initially had limited use of the train but worked to expand its range using the power they harnessed from their dam. It still gave them limited range, but the train’s range had expanded greatly.

Over the years, Echo worked with the Ona Graun, under the nose of the Azplana (Ice Queen) and figured out a way to use the power from Niagara Falls (the great falls which Nia claimed ot have named after herself) to help the trains run further. By clearing tunnels and cleaning ancient tracks, the Ona Graun now had a way to travel under most of the coalition.

Echo became a respected leader and friend to many of her men, to the point where she trusted several to keep her secret. They even helped her gather supplies for the people, risking wrath and even death at the hands of Queen Nia. It still wasn’t as much as needed for the people to truly prosper, but it helped. It wasn’t until recently that the people realized it wasn’t enough. The people would disappear entirely without a change, and no one would have known they ever existed. While most enjoyed the solitary lives that they led under the ground, many were longing for families and others just wanted to go outside.

“Why didn’t you send Echo to see the Commander?” Clarke looked at Lexa. “She would have helped you. Just because you are under the earth doesn’t mean that Heda wouldn’t have helped you and welcomed you into the coalition.”

Ilex and Echo gazed at them sadly. “We did. The last time we tried was when Sheidheda was in command. Before Echo was born, we sent one of the only other people we had that could survive up above. His head was dropped down a chute that led to the main cavern you were in earlier. The message was clear. We could not expect help. We had heard of Sheidheda’s cruelty and readied ourselves for annihilation, but it never came. I guess he chose to ignore our existence.”

“That was several years before you ascended, Heda.” Lexa was pleased that he was finally acknowledging her position. 

“Why didn’t you come to me when you found out Sheidheda was killed. I would have helped you,” Lexa said.

“You have to understand that by then Echo was fully entrenched in Azgeda. The Queen, Nia, she spewed hatred and lies about you. For a long while, we thought you were just like him. We could only go by what we heard. Echo had no way of knowing that what the Queen was saying was a bunch of lies. It wasn’t until Echo rode with the army to battle Skaikru that she learned that everything Nia had said was untrue. She saw you, and Wanheda, and she observed how you treated the refugees from the sky. If you could accept people who fell from the sky, then surely you would accept people from under the ground.”

“Why did you wait until now? That happened over a year ago.” It was Clarke who spoke.

“We needed to be sure that what Echo had seen was true and not some clever trick to try and enslave the people from the sky.”

“That is all well and good,” Anya said, “but now you have kidnapped us. I don’t really think that is the best way to get us to help you.”

Echo coughed, embarrassed. “That wasn’t our initial intention. I was heading to Polis with my men to meet with Wanheda and Heda when the first disappearances happened. When we heard that you were traveling to investigate them yourself, we changed course to intercept you in Fox Point. Then my men disappeared. Instead of finding you, you found us.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you decided to kidnap us.”

“That…wasn’t my idea…or nontu’s. We hesitate to introduce you to the person who gave us the idea, but I think it may be time.”

“Wanheda, Raven, I believe you may remember Charles Pike.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Charles PIke?


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had intended to post this hours ago, but am just getting to it now. I struggled writing this chapter, so I hope it is okay. I am not 100% satisfied, but it is what it is, and I am already liking the next chapter better even though I just started writing it.
> 
> Since I just started the next chapter, I don't know that I will be able to post Wednesday or Thursday. I will try, but it is more likely that it will be Saturday or Sunday before I post again.

Chapter 9

Charles Pike stepped out of the shadows.

Clarke and Raven stood, and the omega pressed forward, spilling heavy pheromones into the air. She heard whimpers from the betas surrounding her and refocused so that she was only targeting Pike. Growling, she walked up to the alpha until she was face to face with him, and then she hit him with a blast of her power, bringing him to his knees and pinning him to the ground.

Echo and Ilex ran forward, trying to get Clarke to back off, but she was unmovable as she stared into the face of one of her tormentors. Lexa sat back and watched calmly knowing Clarke could handle this man on her own. As much as she wanted to go and rip his head off, her houmon needed to do this on her own.

“Please, Clarke, Charles has been helping us,” Ilex said. 

“That’s because none of you are omegas. Did he tell you what he thought of me? What he did to me?”

“He actually did, Clarke,” Echo said. “He has been trying to atone for those sins ever since .” 

Clarke turned her head momentarily to face Echo. “I don’t believe that. He is no different than my mother.”

“He’s told us about her and the terrible things she had done. He is a changed man, Wanheda.”

“I doubt it. A man like him can never change.”

“Please, three…I mean Clarke.” Pike cried out. He wasn’t trying to fight the hold she had over him. 

A woman stepped out of the shadows now. Clarke snarled and bared her teeth at the woman. She remembered Hannah Green. Hanna stopped her progress and held up her hands, but it didn’t matter. Clarke brought her to her knees too.

“Clarke, they call you Clarke now, right? You have to know that what happened on the Ark was just us trying to survive.” Hanna said, trying to placate the angry omega.

“Bull shit! Survival through cruelty is not a way to survive. It is cowardice, nothing more.” Clarke was growling again. Anya had moved to her side, wanting to protect her seken from any further surprises.

Pike lowered his eyes. “You are right, Clarke. We were cowards, and I know apologies will never make up for what we…what I did to you, but I promise you we are trying to be better.”

Clarke whipped her dagger out and pointed it at the alpha. “I don’t believe you,” she yelled. Lexa could feel that Clarke’s emotions were getting the better of her. Wanheda’s control was slipping and the betas around her were getting uncomfortable again. Lexa moved to stand behind her wife. She pressed a gentle hand to her back in an attempt to calm the omega. 

It was Echo who spoke next. “Let them explain, Wanheda. I think if you hear their story, you may change your mind about them.”

Clarke wasn’t ready to let go of her anger, but if she had learned anything over the past year, it was that things and people really could change. She was a living example of that. She abruptly released her hold on the former Arkers and walked back to her seat. She downed the contents of her cup, wishing she could have something stronger to drink.

She watched as both Pike and Hanna held their position long enough to bare their necks to Lexa before rising. Lexa didn’t have to exert any power to show them who was top alpha. They could feel the power she exuded. It dawned on Clarke that no one had realized that she was pregnant, and for that she was thankful. It appeared that Echo hadn’t found the need to share the information either. She was surprised that Echo hadn’t said anything to her nontu, not that it was her secret to share.

Hannah and Charles made to sit at her table but one look from Clarke had them shuffling on their feet. It was petty, but she enjoyed their discomfort. “It would not be wise to try and sit next to Wanheda,” Anya said sternly.

The two stayed in their places, choosing to stand instead to face Clarke’s wrath. It seemed they understood very quickly that Clarke was no longer the downtrodden, weak omega that she used to be. Anya and Costia stood, flanking Wanheda while Lexa calmly sat next to her wife. Raven, who had been antsy since the arrival of the Arkers walked up and poked a stiff finger into Pike’s shoulder. 

“So, tell us, jackass,” Raven began, “what could possibly have happened to you to make us think you are anything more than the bag of dicks we know you to be?”

Costia coughed, hiding her laugh, but Clarke carefully watched Pike and Hannah, waiting for one of them to react to the jab. Clarke had to hide her astonishment when both people lowered their eyes and looked ashamed. 

“Come on,” Raven kept on. “Tell us your sob story so that Wanheda can get on with gutting the two of you.”

Lexa gave a low warning growl, trying to get Raven to reign in her emotions. The beta clearly had strong feelings against Pike. She knew how he had treated Clarke, but she was unaware that Raven had had any interaction with the Skai alphas standing before her.

Pike looked to Lexa as if asking permission to speak. “Don’t look at me. It isn’t me who will be deciding your fate today. Speak to the Commander of Death,” Lexa said, making sure to emphasize Clarke’s title. 

The Skai alphas’ faces showed surprise, obviously not having known the meaning of Clarke’s title. Before Pike could speak, Hannah spoke up. “C-can you tell my how my boy is? Is…” Hannah paused, fearing the worst. “is he alive?”

Clarke debated not answering, but in the end she did, for Monty. “Monty is alive.”

Hannah’s gasped and her eyes began to fill. She struggled to control her emotions. “Monty has a mate now, and he and Jasper have a thriving business together in our capitol city. He is happy.”

Hanna smiled through her tears and opened her mouth to say something, but Clarke cut her off. “That being said, if I don’t like what you have to say, I won’t hesitate to cut you down. Monty is one of only two people who were ever nice to me on the Ark,” Clarke looked fondly at Raven, “and it is because of the two of them that I survived. Prove to me that you have sincerely changed, and I may allow you to see him, but betray me, and I will make sure that he continues to think you died the day you crashed to Earth.”

A few more people escaped from the shadows. Clarke wondered just how many more Skai people there were hiding with the Ona Graun. One face she recognized immediately. “Sergeant Miller,” Clarke said. She remembered this member of the guard. Like Major Byrne, he hadn’t been so bad. She hadn’t had many interactions with the man, but he had never been overtly cruel.

He bowed his head to Wanheda. “It’s just David now,” he said as he gave her a weak smile. “My son, Nathan. Is he also alive?” Clarke could hear the hope in his voice.

“He is. He moved to another clan with his friend Zoe, although he comes to the capitol often to visit his friend Eric. If I am correct, I think he and Eric may be starting to court one another.”

David’s weak smile turned to one of joy, and it lit up his face. “Thank you for telling me this, Wanheda. I am sorry to interrupt.” He stepped back and told Pike to get on with it. 

Charles Pike stood awkwardly, and Clarke could see it was taking everything in him not to sit. He was not used to being forced to stand. “Speak, alpha.”

He cleared this throat. “We were all in Farm Station when it was launched,” he began, “but the part we were in broke off from the main section of the station when it hit the atmosphere.” Anya and Lexa looked confused, not knowing the last word, and Raven quickly told them she would explain later. “The crash was much harder than expected, and we lost a lot of people that day. We barely had time to recover and tend to our own injuries before we were set upon by savages.” Pike’s face morphed into a look of pure hatred, and Clarke was doubting that he would be able to let go of his anger. “They forced us to our knees, tied our hands behind our backs and pulled us from the wreckage. It was cold, and everything was blindingly white.”

That confirmed that they had landed in Azgeda, Clarke thought. As Pike went on, he weaved at gruesome tale. His people were forced to march through the frozen tundra, and despite the group of Skai people mostly being alphas, they were constantly forced to submit. They were barely fed on their journey, and at night the grounders used them for their entertainment by humiliating them or forcing them into fights they could not win. More people died. In short, they were treated much the same way Clarke had been treated on the Ark. She had simply been lucky to survive. 

It got worse when they met the Ice Queen. Diana Sydney had tried to stand up to Nia, but she was taken away. She was never seen again. The rest were forced into a labor camp in a remote village. 

“To them, we were weak, and barely worth keeping alive. They looked down on us, as inferior to them. It took me a long time to realize it, Clarke, but they were treating us exactly as we had treated you, and for that I am so very sorry. It took being in your shoes for me to realize how wrong we were. It shouldn’t have taken that long.”

Pike, and the others, hung their heads in shame. Clarke wasn’t fully convinced that he could change. Raven looked like she was having the same feelings. The omega knew she would probably never trust the alpha in front of her, but she was willing to give him a chance to redeem himself. If he failed, she would do what she needed to do.

“How did you find your way to the Ona Graun?” Clarke asked.

Hannah spoke. “It was Echo who rescued us.”

After being dragged halfway across Azgeda and being forced to work as slaves, the Skai people were dragged back to the crash site to scavenge for any salvageable tech. They had no idea what the Ice Queen could possibly want with it. All they knew was that as soon as they pulled something intact from the station, a warrior would grab it, and whisk it away to the Queen. 

This was where Echo and her men had found them. She and her men had watched the site for days before deciding to act. Her men killed the Azgedan guards and helped the Skai people escape into one of the hidden tunnels nearby. They cleared the scene to make it look as if everyone had just disappeared. They took all the remaining salvaged tech with them.

“Why did you rescue them, Echo?” Lexa wanted to know.

“They were being oppressed, Heda. No one deserves the treatment they were receiving.”

“Well aren’t you lucky, Pike,” Raven said while scowling at the man, “barely a year on the ground and you were rescued from your oppressors. It took Clarke being thrown away to die to get away from hers.”

Charles sunk to his knees and continued to address Clarke, eyes sad and apologetic. “We will never be able to make up for how we treated you, either of you,” he said as he also looked at Raven, “but we can try to be better. We learned a harsh lesson while we were being held captive, but it helped open our eyes to the fact that the way we treated people the Ark, especially you Clarke, was wrong. Since then, the people of the Ona Graun have shown us that there are better ways to survive. It doesn’t take power, dominance, and submission to live.”

Clarke eyed the alpha carefully, and then she looked over all the other Farm Station survivors. While they seemed sincere, it was going to take more than a story of hardship and enlightenment to convince Clarke that the people before her could really change. She would take them at their word for now, but she wasn’t going to let her guard down, and at the first signs of betrayal she wouldn’t hesitate to make them regret their former actions.

“So, there is still one thing that you haven’t explained,” Anya said, standing behind Clarke with one hand on her Queen’s shoulder and the other on the hilt of her sword. “You still haven’t told us why you kidnapped us.”

Pike, who was still on his knees, shuddered as if fearful to speak. “Um…” he hesitated, “we, ah, needed to get you here because we think the answer to freeing the people of the Ona Graun may lie in Clarke's blood.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you even start, don't worry for Clarke. It isn't a terrible thing, and no one intends to harm her in any way. The ideas Skaikru have in regards to her blood will probably be explained next chapter, and in the end, it will be up to Clarke if anyone gets there hands on it.
> 
> Also, I will say that I don't know if Pike will be good or bad yet, but I do think he is sincerely sorry for what he did to Clarke. I do know he will likely be deeply conflicted about his treatment by Azgeda, and it will probably get him into trouble.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had hoped to post this yesterday, but it didn't happen, so I am getting this to you now. I hope it answers some questions. I do know that after this chapter things should start speeding up.

Chapter 10

The members of Trikru exploded into action. Anya, Lexa, and Costia had their weapons drawn and pointed at the Farm Station survivors. Raven wore a stunned look of horror, and Clarke sat, eyes watering, knowing it had been too good to be true that the people of the Ark could have changed. Everything with the people from the sky always came down to her status as an omega or her fucking black blood.

Clarke ignored the arguing and yelling as she stood up and exited the room. She wandered into the large cavern, now oddly devoid of all people, and stared at the ceiling, wishing she could see the open sky. A single tear escaped. She thought she had escaped Skaikru and what they thought of her and her blood.

She was alone for longer than she expected. She could hear heated arguments, and then calm discussion. She eventually heard footsteps behind her, and initially thought it was Lexa who had come out to find her, but it was Echo’s cadence that she recognized. “It isn’t what you think, ai Haiplana.”

Clarke unconsciously put a hand on her stomach before turning to the alpha. “You wouldn’t understand, Echo. You don’t know those people the way I do. For years I was ridiculed, humiliated, and tortured not only because I was an omega, but also because of the color of my blood. They said I was diseased. They called me a mutt, and now…now they think my blood is the key to saving your people. It’s a load of skrish. It’s just another way for them to try and control me, and that isn’t going to happen. They aren’t getting their hands on me, my pups, or my blood. I will see them all dead first.”

“Beja (please), ai Haiplana,” Echo begged. “From what they have told me and nontu, they believe that your blood could have special properties that may allow my people to live above the ground.”

Clarke started to growl and stalked up to Echo. She tilted her head to look the tall alpha in the ey “I already said no! Do not make me say it again.”

“Moba (sorry), ai Haiplana.” Echo lowered her eyes and bared her neck to the now furious Queen. Lexa, who had obviously felt Clarke’s rage, finally came running out into the cavern with Raven hot on her heels.

“Clarke, what if they could use the blood that Wells took to the Mountain?” Raven asked, gasping from having run after Lexa.

“How?” Clarke yelled, spinning to face the beta. “How would they do that? We can’t exactly waltz up to the Mountain Men and ask politely for them to give my blood back, and even if we could, do you really think they would just give it to us.” 

Ilex, who had been standing in the background moved forward. “What if we help you defeat Maun-de? No one knows the tunnels better than we do, and we have been able to ‘borrow’ their trains. If you give us time, maybe we could find a way in.”

Clarke’s head was spinning. Too much had happened over the last day. She grabbed the bridge of her nose, trying to calm herself down, but it didn’t help. She felt her emotions spiraling. 

Lexa moved closer and pumped out soothing pheromones. She decided to take control of the situation. “As you can imagine, it has been a long and harrowing day,” the alpha said, looking at the leader of the underground. “I think we could all use some rest and time to think about the things we have heard today. I am sure Wanheda would agree.” Clarke nodded her agreement. She just wanted away from all these people. 

“I also need one of you to show Raven a way to get above ground. I need her to contact our people before all hell breaks loose because of our absence.”

“Of course,” Ilex said, then looked at Clarke. “Please forgive us, Wanheda. In our excitement we may have forgotten what a taxing day it has been for all of you.” He pointed to one of his people nearby. “Please escort Raven to the closest entrance so she can go topside and communicate with their people. Echo and I will show you where you can get some rest.”

“I don’t mean to offend,” Clarke said, “but I’m going to go with Raven. I need…I just can’t be near Skaikru right now.”

The others formed a protective circle around Clarke as she made to follow Raven. She watched as Ilex’s face fell and knew what he was thinking. She put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. We won’t abandon you. I just need some time and space to think, and I can’t do that if I am around them.” She pointed to where Pike and the others now stood. “I promise you we will come back in the morning. Echo can spend the night with us and escort us back down after the sun rises.”

Ilex nodded, understanding Clarke’s discomfort. He shouldn’t have expected that she would easily accept the surprise appearance of Pike and his people. “I will make sure that you have everything you need to be comfortable tonight.”

Clarke hadn’t realized just how wound up she was until she took her first step outside and felt the constriction in her chest ease. She watched as Raven took long strides, while fiddling with her radio. Lexa had instructed the beta to contact Polis and those in Ingranrona. She followed the beta, Lexa at her side. 

“Niron, are you alright?” Lexa asked, knowing perfectly well that Clarke was not.

“No,” Clarke admitted. “I am not. I should have known that the crap Pike spewed was too good to be true.”

Lexa latched onto Clarke’s hand and pulled her into a hug. “Do you want me to go back down there and run him through with my sword?”

Clarke rested her head against Lexa’s chest. “Would it be terrible if I said yes?”

Lexa chuckled. “No, ai hodnes, it would not. From everything you have told me, he is a despicable man who probably deserves death.”

Clarke hugged her mate tight to her. “Don’t kill him just yet. As upsetting as his presence is to me, maybe we should give him, or at least the rest of Skaikru a chance. I know he sounded sincere when he was speaking to me earlier, and I have no intention of trusting him or taking him at his word, but if he, and the remaining Skaikru can help the Ona Graun, then maybe it is worth keeping him alive…at least for now.”

“You are a better person than me, niron,” Lexa said just as Raven came up to them while flourishing her radio.

“I have Myra on the line. She would like to speak to Clarke.”

Clarke grabbed the radio, excited to speak to her nomon. She looked at Lexa first and marveled at how her houmon never got jealous that her mother always wanted to speak with her first. Lexa smiled and nodded before walking away in order to give her wife privacy while she spoke to Myra. Over the past year, Clarke and Myra had developed a special bond. It was like Myra had packed all the years that Clarke had missed having a mother into twelve months, and Clarke knew that she would never be able to repay the gift that Myra had given her. To finally have a mother figure in her life meant so much to her. It was something that Clarke knew she had been missing in her life but hadn’t realized just how much until Myra had taken on the role wholeheartedly. 

She wandered back and forth as she spoke to her nomon, and it wasn’t until Raven came back saying that she still needed to contact the others that she said goodbye to Myra and reluctantly handed Raven back her tech.

“You hogged nomon, ai hodnes. Now I didn’t get to talk to her,” Lexa said.

Clarke dipped her head. “Lex, I’m sorry, I…”

She was met with a gentle caress. “I am teasing you, hodnes.”

Blushing, because every time Lexa teased her, she still blushed, Clarke dumbly said, “Oh.”

Raven finished up with the radio and was now feverishly tapping away on her tablet. “Can someone tell me where the hell we are?” The beta’s unquenchable thirst for knowledge had her trying to pinpoint exactly where they were on a map she had opened on her tablet. 

Echo stepped up behind Raven and said, “We are in Boudalan (Rock Line) territory. The caves my people live in extend beneath much of their land.” Raven jumped, not expecting the alpha to be so close.

“Uh, thanks,” Raven said without looking up from her tech. She pulled up a different map that she had been able to copy of the clans, then superimposed a map of the United States over it. Clarke couldn’t fault Raven for using the old maps. It was what the beta had been taught when up on the Ark.

“I got it,” Raven exclaimed. She pointed a finger at a picture on her tablet and looked at Echo. “Your people are living in a cave system that used to be called Mammoth Cave.” She scrolled through pictures of when the cave used to be part of the National Parks system. “That means we are somewhere in Kentucky.”

“I don’t know why you insist on referring to clan lands by names that do not exist anymore, Raven,” Anya said.

“It helps me visualize,” Raven stated flatly. “I can’t exactly unlearn what was taught to me.” Raven quickly explained that a huge part of Ark education was learning about the former United States. The station she lived on had some die-hards that refused to accept the idea that the former U.S was anything but a barren wasteland after the bombs, so they force fed American politics, social studies, geography, and history onto their students.

It was one of the most tedious things Raven had had to learn, but it had all stuck, and she was the one who now had a hard time imagining the Earth as anything other than it had been before even after over a year of living on it.

“If you would put your tech away instead of always staring at it, strik sora,” Anya chided, “maybe it wouldn’t be so hard to unlearn.”

Pretending to be affronted, Raven stomped away only to turn and flip Anya the bird. Clarke and Lexa burst out laughing. Clarke was happy for the moment of levity. It helped ease her anxiety from earlier.

Raven suddenly froze, skin paling as realization hit her. She turned and scowled at Echo. “Do you realize that your train took us more that eight hundred miles away from our people. EIGHT HUNDRED MILES. Your fucking train better be able to get us back there, or close to Polis. I am not spending winter freezing underground like some damned caveman.” This time she really did stomp off.

Echo looked perplexed. “What is a mile?”

Clarke ignored her and looked at Lexa. “They can get us back home, right?”

It was late in the evening and Clarke was lying on her side in a makeshift tent that the Ona Graun had provided. Lexa was snuggled up behind her.

Clarke felt Lexa nosing around in her hair. “Your scent keeps changing, ai hodnes.” The nose, and then lips, moved to the crook of her neck, making her shiver. “I’m guessing it is because of the pups. It’s irresistible.”

Clarke grinned in the darkness, peering at the stars. She was feeling more at ease. She had spent a couple of hours sitting around the fire with everyone; Raven explained what Clarke had missed when she ran from the room after Pike’s announcement about her blood, and the explanation had Clarke feeling mostly better. 

The theory was that Clarke’s blood may contain a binding protein that would help Ona Graun kru tolerate the radiation that existed above the ground. It was clear that they could tolerate some because exposure didn’t immediately kill them, but it did make them very, very ill. Prolonged exposure would eventually lead to their death.

When Clarke asked why they believed it was her blood and not just nightblood that would cure them, one of the scientists from the Ark had stepped forward. At Abby’s orders, he had studied samples of Clarke’s blood. He had run tests on her blood as she aged, and over the years her blood had changed. Raven went into the specifics, but it went over the omega’s head. In the end, it boiled down to Clarke’s blood being somehow enhanced. It was able to fight off disease, illness, and radiation better than that of her companions on the Ark. When her blood was introduced to pathogens, her cells would gobble them up like they had never existed at all. The scientist, Bill, had explained all of this to Abby, but she refused to believe it. She would not accept that a black-blooded omega could have blood that made her superior to the rest of them. Bill theorized that if Clarke’s blood could be introduced into the systems of the people trapped underground, their blood might change and adapt, allowing them to leave the depths of the Earth.

Listening to Raven explain the science behind why Skaikru thought her blood could help the Ona Graun eased the anxiety that snaked through her body. It made sense, she supposed, and while she wasn’t willing to give Skaikru a sample of her blood, she was considering Ilex’s proposal to try and find a way into the Mountain. She didn’t know why, but she was certain that if Skaikru had studied her blood then the Maunon had too. She also realized that it wouldn’t matter if she gave a sample of her blood now. Skaikru had no way to test it anymore, and she wasn’t about to let a member of the underground test the theory by allowing themselves to be injected and then go above ground. If they got sick or died, Clarke would never forgive herself.

For now, it was a moot issue, and the relief Clarke got from that was immeasurable. She had relaxed enough to grow sleepy as Lexa held her in her arms while being warmed by the fire. Her alpha eventually lifted her and carried her to their tent.

“Exactly how irresistible am I?” Clarke purred.

“Let me show you,” Lexa said as she rolled Clarke onto her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I would love to hear you thoughts.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because it is Valentine's day, a day for lovers, I bring you smut. It's only at the beginning of the chapter. If it isn't your thing, or you shouldn't be reading it, scroll down until you get to the asterisks. 
> 
> Happy reading.

Chapter 11

Lexa woke up to what she thought was a bug crawling on her nose. Keeping her eyes closed, she swatted at the bug only to have her hand brush several strands of hair from her face. Green eyes popped open to find deep blue orbs staring down at her. It was the middle of the night, and in the dim light of the solitary candle that they had left burning, Clarke’s golden hair glowed as if on fire. Her houmon’s hair was longer than her’s. The alpha’s hair had been steadily growing back since she cut it off to infiltrate the Ark over a year ago, but Clarke still had her beat. The omega’s ability to grow her hair astonished everyone. It seemed to grew twice as fast as everyone else’s.

Blinking the sleepiness away, she smiled up at her wife. “Why are you awake, niron?”

“Because you woke me up. Whatever you were dreaming about had you pouring off the most delectable scent. I want to make you feel whatever it was you were feeling in your dream. Unless, of course, you weren’t dreaming about me,” Clarke teased.

Lexa chuckled quietly to herself. She had already satisfied her wife a few times that night. It seemed her pregnant houmon was insatiable. The alpha grabbed Clarke’s hand and dipped it in between her legs. She grinned wickedly when Clarke gasped at the wetness she found there. “I assure you, ai houmon, whatever I was dreaming of, you were involved.”

Clarke gave her an equally wicked grin. “Let me see if I can make your dream come true.”

The omega started pressing feather light kisses over Lexa’s face, stopping at her lips to deepen her kiss. Lexa couldn’t help but groan. She grabbed Clarke’s hips in an effort to keep her omega just where she was, but her effort failed, much to her delight. Clarke’s hands, and lips, started to wander, and Lexa was sure the rest of the little makeshift camp heard her moan when the omega’s lips latched onto an exposed nipple. Lexa’s hands moved and threaded through blonde tresses. Clarke gave each perky bud equal attention then let go with an audible pop.

Clarke lifted her head and sucked hard on the faint mating mark on the alpha’s neck, leaving it purple and bruised. Lexa was coming undone. “Please, Clarke.”

“Patience is a virtue, ai houmon. Yours is usually unflappable.” Clarke smirked when Lexa gave a low growl.

“Not when you tease me like this, it isn’t.” The alpha moved her hand to try and take control, but Clarke was too fast for her and grabbed her wrist before she could. “You had your fun earlier, Lex. Now it is my turn. Be a good alpha and hold still.”

Lexa tried to obey, she really did, but it was hard not to writhe under her omega’s attention. She couldn’t help but arch her back when roving fingers slid in between her wet folds. Clarke kissed her way down the alpha’s torso, pointing her tongue to tickle her belly button. “Clarke,” Lexa exclaimed. The brunette was gasping now, trying to keep her breath while Clarke assaulted her skin with tiny nips and bites from her teeth. She almost screamed when the omega finally fastened onto her throbbing clit. “Sha (yes), Clarke,” Lexa yelled out. “I need more.”

Brilliant blue eyes peered up at her and Lexa could feel the vibrations of her chuckle from where Clarke had her lips attached to the alpha’s body. She watched eagerly as Clarke’s left hand moved and two fingers finally…finally entered her. Her houmon was no longer teasing her. Clarke set a brutal pace while she pumped her fingers in and out of the alpha. A string of curses flew from her mouth as her wife took her higher and higher, until she ascended higher than she thought she had ever before. A howl of pleasure was ripped from her throat as she came crashing back down. Her breath hitched in her chest. Clarke gave her one more lick, one more pump, before pulling her fingers free. Lexa shuddered at the sudden emptiness. 

“Was that as good as your dream?” Clarke asked coyly as she made her way back up to kiss the alpha.

“B-better. It was so much better.”

*************

When she woke again, she was curled protectively around Clarke. Despite having felt her omega’s anxiety decrease when Raven explained why the others thought her blood might be able to help the Ona Graun, she knew her wife was still feeling lost and angry. It seemed that no matter how much time passed, the people of the Ark were still able to hurt her omega, intentionally or not. As Lexa thought about it, it made her wonder if it was Clarke’s blood in particular that would help. The people of the underground were not her people, so it stood to reason that perhaps they didn’t know about nightblood, and certainly these new Skai people didn’t know either. It did not go unnoticed to Lexa that Echo had not told Ilex about Clarke’s pregnancy, so maybe she had never told them about the natblidas either. If that was the case, then maybe, when the time was right, Lexa could offer up a sample of her own blood. If she was able, she would do whatever it took to lift the burden of helping an unknown people off the shoulders of her houmon because Lexa knew there was no way they wouldn’t try to help these people. Now that Heda knew of their existence, it was her duty to try and help them. Even if they couldn’t, and they had to remain underground, she would still try to bring them into the Coalition. They needed help, and one way or another, Lexa would try to ensure their survival.

The former Arkers were another story; Lexa did not trust them. They seemed sincere, but one year of being on the ground was not enough time to undo their belief system. While they might be sincere now, Lexa had a hard time believing that they wouldn’t revert back to their old ways over time, especially considering their reception by Azgeda when they hit the ground. The way the Azgedans treated them was no different than the way they treated Clarke. The Skai people would deny it, but they were more similar to Azgeda than they believed. She would watch these people carefully, and at the first sign of betrayal or deception, she would have no problem ending their fight. It had been a struggle controlling herself around that man named Pike. One slip by the man, and her control would be gone. 

Clarke rolled over, stretching as she went, and turned to face her wife. “You’re thinking very loudly this morning, Heda. Care to share what’s on your mind?”

“You, ai hodnes. I always wake to thoughts of you.” 

A soft look came over Clarke’s face. “I still don’t know how I got so lucky.”

“It is I who is the lucky one, and I bless the stars from where you came every day for dropping you into my life.”

A gagging sound from outside their tent could be heard. “Give the sappy skrish a rest you two,” Costia said. “Echo is ready to escort us back down. Anya and I went hunting. We need your help to carry our kills down. It should be enough to supplement whatever it is the people down there eat for breakfast.”

Lexa rolled her eyes but slowly extracted herself from Clarke. She leaned a hand down to her wife and helped her up. She then helped her omega dress, but not until after placing several kisses to her wife’s pregnant belly. “I wonder when you will begin to show,” she mused.

“I don’t think it will be much longer, I can already feel the changes in my body.” Clarke rubbed her hands up and down her naked flesh. 

Lexa didn’t let Clarke leave the tent until she was bundled up in her coat and fur-lined gloves. She didn’t want the omega to get cold. Even before leaving the tent she could feel that the day was going to be bitingly chilly.

The two walked hand in hand over to the fire where the others were sitting and waiting for them. Raven was brandishing a stick and drawing lines in the dirt. 

“How can this be so hard?” Raven was asking. It was clear she was frustrated. She was trying to explain how far one mile was to Echo. She took her stick and drew two lines in the dirt. “The space between those two lines is one foot. There are five thousand two hundred and eighty feet in one mile.”

Echo looked at the small distance between the two lines. “That is a small distance. A mile can’t be that far then.”

Raven looked ready to explode. “Please say you’re kidding. Take a foot and multiply it over five thousand times. You can’t tell me that isn’t far. Unless you are running, it would take you almost a quarter of an hour to walk just one mile, and that’s at a quick clip. Your damn train took us eight hundred miles from our friends.”

“You have a funny way of measuring distance. It is easier to know that it will take two days, seven days, or ten days by horse to get somewhere.”

Raven snapped her stick in half. “I don’t get it. Why is it so hard for you grounders to understand the concept of measurable distance?” I give up.” She threw the stick in the fire and walked away.

Anya laughed, low enough that Raven didn’t hear. “Don’t worry Echo. She has been trying to teach me the concept for over a year, and I don’t get it either.”

Hours later, Lexa was clenching her fists trying not to disembowel the Skai people before her. They were brash, undisciplined know-it-alls who seemed to think that infiltrating Maun-de would be easy. Anya was faring no better.

The older alpha stood and started to pace. “You branwoda Skai people know nothing. The Maunon have been taking our people for generations. Do you not think that we have tried to get them back, that we haven’t fought to get inside the Mountain? It is impossible. They have fayagons (guns) and acid fog, and somehow they always see us coming from miles away.”

“Really? Now you understand the concept of what a mile is,” Raven grumbled under her breath so no one could hear. Her mate was in for a huge lecture when they were finally alone again.

“Chil au daun (calm down), Anya,” Lexa commanded. She could see the people of the underground getting uncomfortable. The natural pheromones coming off Anya in her agitation seemed to be getting to them. They may all be betas, but the slight scent coming from Anya shouldn’t be bothering them. It was almost as if they were hypersensitive to the smell. Lexa couldn’t even detect it without concentrating. 

Thinking about it, Lexa realized that the people of the Ona Graun had almost no scent of their own. Betas typically had a mild but noticeable scent. It was neutral, but it seemed that the people of the underground were practically inert, barely betas at all. Sniffing, she didn’t detect any scent from them at all. It was disturbing. She wondered if their time under the ground had fundamentally changed them, or maybe it was living above the ground that had changed the people. She didn’t know much about how people were before the bombs. Were they more like her people, or were they more similar to those forced to live beneath the Earth? And what of the people from the sky? Except for Clarke, it seemed they were somewhere in between those on the ground and those beneath. There were three distinct presentations, but they were much weaker than those that grew up with dirt under their feet. She would have to ask Raven what she knew about the people from Old World. She was curious to know if the people had changed, biologically, in the last ninety-seven years.

She was brought out of her musings by a yell from Clarke.

“There is no jokking way I am going to allow you to have access to the guns, Pike.” Lexa had clearly missed something.

“But they will help in the fight against the Mountain. You said it yourself that they have guns too. We already know how to use them. We can help,” Pike pleaded. Giving up on Clarke, he turned to Lexa. “Commander, my people have been trained in their use. Yours have not. What use is it to have Ark weaponry if you cannot use it?”

“That is where you are wrong, Arker,” Anya gritted out. “I have an entire battalion of warriors who are proficient in the use of your fayagons. I dare say that they are more proficient than you. They used them in the battle against the Ark. Have you ever used such a weapon in that way?”

Pike’s face fell, frustration clear in his eyes. “We just want to help.”

“Then stop assuming you know everything,” Clarke said, “and listen to what we are all saying. Unless we can figure out a way to get us into Mount Weather, all conversation is a waste of time, and it doesn’t get us any closer to helping Echo and Ilex’s people.” Clarke dragged her hand through her hair.

Costia, who had been mostly silent, finally spoke up. “Ilex mentioned using the tunnels before, but what if we use the ones near Maun-de that are used exclusively by the reapers? Lincoln said he is familiar with those tunnels. What if he brought someone, say Pike for instance, into the tunnels and they got themselves captured? We would have an inside man then, someone familiar with their technology since it seems it is similar to that of the Ark.”

Charles paled. “No way, that wouldn’t work. They would turn me into a reaper…or kill me.”

“Not if you told them who you are. There are already people from the Ark that are there. Some of them fled with Wells. You say you have changed and that you want to help the people of the Ona Graun. What better way to prove it?” Costia asked. 

“Aren’t you afraid that I will betray you?” Pike asked.

“Of course, but if you do, you will be trapped in the Mountain, just as you were trapped in the sky. Is that what you really want now that you know what it is like to live under the sun, with the wind in your hair and dirt under your feet? Wouldn’t you miss seeing the stars and the moon above when you are staring at a blank ceiling at night when you are trying to fall asleep?” Costia smiled as she finished. She knew she had Pike caught between a rock and a hard place. 

Lexa had to give it to her sister. It was a sound plan. If Pike was who he said he was, then sending him into the Mountain could lead to its downfall, and if he wasn’t who he said, then they would be getting rid of a potentially dangerous foe. Having Pike in the Mountain wouldn’t give the Maunon any more advantage over the Coalition than the other Skai people may have already given them. To Lexa is seemed like a win-win for her and her people, especially Clarke. For Pike it was a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. There was no way he could refuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Pike's going to the Mountain. He doesn't really have a choice, does he? Even I didn't see that coming.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter chapter, but since I just posted for V-day, I don't feel too bad about that. 
> 
> Happy reading.

Chapter 12

They had spent hours trying to figure out how to coordinate the infiltration of the Mountain after Pike agreed to the plan. The first priority was getting everyone back in one spot. With Lincoln all the way in Ingranrona and them all the way in Boudalan they figured the best way to get everyone in one location was to use the trains to get them as close to Polis as possible. Lexa needed to get to Polis to inform the ambassadors of the plan. She was going to need the full cooperation from all the clans if they were going to make their plan work.

Raven protested about the trains because she did not want her rovers to be left behind with the Plains Riders, so it was decided that Lincoln, Jasper, Jackson and Octavia would start driving immediately for Polis. It would take just as long for the Ona Graun to organize a way to “borrow” the trains to get everyone back to Polis anyway. 

For now, Pike was going to be left with the Underground. Lexa and Clarke did not trust bringing the man to Polis. He seemed to have a good relationship with the Ona Graun, and Ilex was being trusted to keep tabs on the man. Hannah Green, who seemed to be Pike’s second in command, was being brought with them under the guise of reuniting her with Monty. It was Clarke’s idea to get her away from Pike so that they couldn’t influence one another. She didn’t trust Hannah any more than she trusted Charles. 

It was after the meeting that Echo approached them. Clarke wanted away from the Skai people. They had been nothing but civil during the meeting, but the close proximity to them made her uncomfortable and it was exhausting. She was anxious to get topside. Echo had a different idea. 

The alpha jogged after them as they were making their way through the cavern. “Heda, Haiplana, wait,” she said. When Lexa and Clarke stopped, Echo spoke again. “Haiplana, you look like you could use some rest and a bath. If I may, I have something I would like to show you that could help you with both these things.” 

Curious, Clarke looked at Lexa then shrugged her shoulders. Echo grabbed them each a torch and led them down a narrow pathway that led deep into the cavern system. At first as they walked the air got chillier than it already was, but then Clarke noticed a sudden warming. The humid air started to feel heavier and wetter than in the main part of the cave. 

Echo had them stop. “Hold on for just a minute while I light some candles. You are in for a real treat, ai Haiplana.” The woman stepped into the darkness and completely disappeared. After a few short minutes, candlelight started to infuse the area around them revealing several deep pools of water before them.

When Echo reappeared before them, she explained. “These pools are fed by a natural hot spring. There is another set of pools elsewhere in the system that the rest of us use. It’s bigger and easier to get to than this one, so these pools rarely get used. I thought you two could use some privacy to bathe together and warm up. I hope it’s okay, but I took the liberty of having towels and clean clothes delivered earlier. If you want, you can undress, and I will have someone clean the clothes you are wearing.”

Clarke was truly touched by this gesture. For some reason this alpha, whom she hadn’t known for very long, had completely dedicated herself to ensuring her Haiplana was comfortable and had everything she needed. It was clear that Echo was loyal to Heda and the coalition, but her commitment to her Hailplana superseded all of that. While their relationship was young, Clarke knew she could trust the alpha implicitly. She would speak to Lexa about recognizing and rewarding Echo for her service not only to Clarke, but also her people. It could not have been easy being a double agent: trying to appear loyal to Queen Nia while fighting to help her people.

“Thank you, Echo, this really is a treat. We haven’t had a proper bath in longer than I can remember,” Clarke said.

“The best part about it is that it never gets cold, so you can sit as long as you want.” Echo started to walk away then remembered something. “There’s soap and shampoo on that shelf over there.” The alpha pointed to where she meant. “Enjoy yourselves, Heda, Haiplana. I assume you will be able to find your way out.”

“Sha, Echo. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

Echo smiled. “It’s the least I can do since I am the one who kidnapped you after all.” She winked and walked away.

Lexa started to undress as she said, “It was a brazen act to bring us here when she tricked us into getting on that train, and I am sure she knew she could have been facing a death sentence, but I am glad she brought us. These people need help, and even if they have to remain underground, I will do everything in my power to make their lives easier.”

Clarke, who was now naked, hugged her wife. “I know you will. That’s part of why I love you so much.”

The two spent a glorious hour in the depths of the pool. Lexa couldn’t contain her moan as she stepped into the water’s warmth. Clarke had been no better. There was a natural shelf that they could sit on, but Lexa preferred to stand. The water came all the way up to her chin. It was a very different experience from lying in a bathtub. Sure, she had been swimming many times, but not while being surrounded by blissfully warm water. Clarke, who was a bit shorter than her alpha, had to stand on her tippy toes if she wanted to stand in the water. Lexa swept the omega into her arms and held her so that her wife could enjoy the full effects of the water without struggling to stay above it. 

“This may be my new favorite thing to do on Earth,” Clarke said as Lexa bobbed her up and down in the water.

“Are you sure, ai hodnes? It is nice, but I can think of a few things I might enjoy more.”

Clarke smirked. “Hmm,” she pretended to contemplate. “You could be right. How about we combine the two.” She started kissing her alpha.

It was a long time after that that the two finally got clean and exited the water. As promised, there were clothes waiting for them. They dried quickly then dressed, trying to maintain the heat they had gained while in the water. The constant chill in the air left something to be desired. 

Echo, who had obviously stayed to guard the entrance of the long tunnel leading to the hot springs, met them with a smile. “You look much more relaxed, ai Haiplana.”

“I am. Thank you again, Echo. You know we are going to do everything in our power to help your people get above ground, but if we can’t…well even if we can, these pools could be a way to help your clan become very prosperous.”

Echo tipped her head in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“If you spin it the right way, I believe that people from all over the 12 clans would trade generously to sink themselves into one of these pools. I am more relaxed than I have been in a very long time. It is almost as if those pools have healing properties.” Clarke thought about that and grinned. “That could be your selling point…the magical healing properties of your never cooling waters.” 

Echo’s eyes widened. “That is a very good idea, my Queen. I will propose it to Ilex.”

“Glad to be of service.”

It took a couple of days for the Ona Graun to wrangle up a train to get everyone close to Polis. Lexa and the others didn’t know how they did it, but they were thankful for the quick ride. Now that they weren’t being held prisoner on the train, it was a much more enjoyable ride.

Raven talked extensively with the members of the Ona Graun who would accompany them to their stopping point before heading home again. She wanted to know as much as she could about the trains, the tunnels, and how it all worked. She also wanted to know how it was that the Ona Graun could travel. They explained that as long as they stayed below ground they would be fine. Raven talked as she fooled with one of her radios so that it would work from underground. There was a lot of cursing involved, but finally, she was able to reach Octavia as they rode in the rover, and Myra in Polis, from the train. She handed the radio over so that the Ona Graun would be able to communicate with them, and vice versa, while they set plans in motion.

“We are almost there,” one said.

“Good,” Lexa began. She was now standing at the front of the train with Clarke. She looked at the members of the Ona Graun. “It may take a few weeks to finalize our plans but know that we are going to do everything we can for your people. Before you reverse the train and head home, I will make sure you have any supplies that your people need.”

“Thank you, Heda.”

“Please give the radio to Ilex. We will be in contact at least every few days to update him, and all of you, on our progress.”

She looked at the others. “It’s clear that it must be the Mountain that is taking our people. We just don’t know why, and for now we can’t focus on that. When we get back, Raven, I want you to try and analyze whatever is left in that syringe you found on our first train ride. If Lincoln or Pike get turned into a reaper, I want a way to combat that and turn them back.” She turned to Bill, the science guy from the Ark who was accompanying Hannah. “You will help her.”

“Of course, Heda.”

She addressed Pike’s second next. “Hannah, Raven has radioed ahead. Your son will be waiting for you as soon as we enter Polis.”

The woman’s eyes began to water. “Thank you, Heda. I never thought I would see my son again.”

Things were falling into place, and Lexa was pleased that for the first time in generations, they might indeed have a way to fight and defeat the Mountain. It was going to take careful planning, but Lexa felt positive that in the weeks to come that Pike would be in the Mountain and would help them take down the Maunon. She didn’t trust the man, but she did trust his desire to not be trapped again as he had been on the Ark. He’d had a taste of the outside. He would want it back. Lexa had also ensured that he wouldn’t betray her. She had promised torture and death to his people if he stepped so much as a toe out of line. Her parting words to him had been, “Do not be the cause for the suffering of your people, Charles. Show that you are better than the man you used to be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are heading back to Polis people. Our girls need some Myra time.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos and comments. :)
> 
> Happy reading.

Chapter 13

“Em pleni (enough)!” Lexa yelled, slamming her dagger into the wooden armrest of her throne. She had had enough of the bickering and squabbling from her ambassadors. Clarke sat in her own throne looking haggard and drained. No one could decide how and when to move on the Mountain. By now, Pike should be inside. Lincoln had returned to TonDC and sent a messenger letting Heda know that Pike had been captured in the reaper tunnels. The beta had hidden in the tunnels while Charles had been corralled by the Moutain men. He heard Pike make his plea to join his fellow Arkers in the Mountain just as he was about to be injected with the red drug. The Maunon stopped what they were doing and instead of drugging him, knocked him out. Lincoln heard them say something about taking him to someone named Wallace. Now they had to wait for word from the Skai alpha.

There was another bit of information that had Lexa and her ambassadors reeling. Lincoln said that some of the Maunon were able to wander the reaper tunnels without their white radiation suits. That was a troubling piece of information, but what bothered them more was that Lincoln described the men as completely devoid of scent. They weren’t alphas, betas, or omegas. It appeared that the people of the Mountain had lost their designations. They were human, but nothing more. Lexa had tasked the Skai people who still lived in Polis to use their tech to scour for information to find out if non-designated humans had ever existed before. It had only been a few men that Lincoln had seen from his hiding spot, but he strongly believed that all the Mountain men were nons as they were now being called.

Lexa called an end to the meeting for the day. There was no use continuing to hash out something that wasn’t going to get solved in the next few hours, and she wanted to get her wife away from everyone. Her houmon had been looking more tired since they got back from the Ona Graun. She feared the stress of mounting an attack on the Mountain, the possible solution for freeing the people from the underground, and her pregnancy were taking a larger toll on the omega than Clarke was willing to admit. If she had her way, she wouldn’t have Clarke participate in these long and drawn out meetings, but there was no way that Wanheda could be absent. Clarke’s absence would be seen as a show of weakness, and that was not something they could afford if she was going to unify the clans for an attack.

Once the room was empty, she offered to take Clarke back up to their quarters for a bath, but the omega surprised her and said, “I want to go see nomon.” They exited the tower and walked the path to where Lexa’s nomon lived. What came as no surprise was the fact that Costia was not there when they arrived. Lexa’s sister had been spending more and more time with Echo, and Myra couldn’t be happier. She was completely smitten with the new alpha in Costia’s life. Murphy, on the other hand, didn’t trust the woman at all. 

When they had first arrived home after their long ride on the train, Myra and Murphy had been the first to greet them, and after kissing her mother hello, Costia ran into Murphy’s arms. Echo hadn’t been able to help herself and growled at him. The two had had a tense relationship ever since. Murphy thought Echo was an overbearing ass, and Echo though he was just a Skai pup who wouldn’t admit that he had feelings for Costia. It took Costia setting them both straight for them to start tolerating being in the same room together.

Upon meeting Myra, Echo had bowed and submitted to the omega, professing her loyalty to Clarke, Lexa, the coalition, and her daughter. The Commander had rolled her eyes, but Myra, she was awestruck by the tall, lithe alpha’s charms.

“I hope nomon has made those rolls I love so much. I have been craving them all day,” Clarke said.

Clarke had started to have cravings. She had also started eating…a lot. Lexa had to make concessions for her hungry omega to allow her to eat during their meetings with the ambassadors. It was during the first meeting that the Commander realized she needed to do this. Clarke’s stomach had been rumbling for at least an hour and the omega was fidgeting in her seat while unconsciously exuding pheromones that made everyone uncomfortable. She finally had to give in. She sent Titus down to the kitchens to get Clarke some food. He had come back with enough food for three people, and Clarke had eaten it all. The huge ambassador from Yujleda (Broadleaf clan), Evgeny, had been so impressed he challenged Clarke to an eating contest that night. He lost.

Lexa led her wife through her nomon’s front door, and she felt her wife shiver in delight. The entire house smelled like baking bread. “It would appear that nomon must have been reading your mind,” Lexa said as she smiled. She would have to make sure she grabbed a roll or two before her wife ate them all.

To Clarke’s delight, Myra came out carrying a giant platter of puffy, perfectly baked goodness and a huge vat of butter. She set it down in front of the omega but instructed her that if she ate more than three and then couldn’t eat her dinner, then no more rolls would be baked until after the pups were born. The threat of no more rolls worked and somehow the young omega was able to control herself, although Lexa could see her wife eyeing the roll she was eating. The alpha couldn’t stand the pathetic look and tore off a giant piece and hand fed it to her wife while Myra wasn’t looking. Clarke frantically chewed and swallowed before Myra turned back around, not that she was fooled. 

“Don’t think I didn’t see that,” she said with an all-knowing look. “You seem to forget that I have eyes in the back of my head.”

Lexa laughed and Clarke blushed. Myra walked over and kissed the blonde on her forehead. “You know I can’t deny you anything, ai goufa (my child), eat as much as you want, but do try to eat some of the other food I have prepared.” She reached down and ran a hand over Clarke’s belly. “Those pups will come out as round as those rolls if bread is all you eat.”

“Sha, nomon, I will,” Clarke said as she slathered more butter than could be healthy onto another roll.

“Heda, Wanheda, this is a nice surprise,” Gustus said as he walked in the door. He walked over to his mate and kissed her thoroughly. Lexa gagged. She still wasn’t used to seeing her mother being affectionate with anyone, even if it was Gustus. Myra snuggled into the bear of a man.

“I saw Costia and Echo in the markets. They should be here shortly. That alpha is a sly one. She’s trying to woo your daughter more than she already has by buying her a shiny trinket,” Gustus said as he stuffed a roll in his mouth.

“Costia always did like her pretty, little things,” Myra said. She looked at Lexa. “I wasn’t expecting the two of you, so I need you to and Gusus to move the small table in the kitchen into the eating room. Anya and Raven are also coming to dinner.”

“You invited all of them to dinner, but didn’t invite the two of us?” Lexa asked.

“You know perfectly well that the two of you have a standing invitation. Besides, your houmon seems to have some sort of sixth sense. You two always arrive on the days I bake.”

Clarke gave a sheepish shrug. “I can’t help it,” she said. “You are better than any chef the tower has.”

“Flattery will get you everything, my dear. I also made those cookies you like so much,” Myra stated, making the blonde jiggle excitedly.

After Gustus and Lexa left to move the table, Myra sat down next to Clarke. “How are you doing, strikon (little one)? You look tired today.”

“I am tired,” Clarke admitted. “I can’t stop worrying about having sent Pike into the Mountain. What if he betrays us?”

“Then he is stuck in the Mountain like the rest of his people, and I know I never met the man, but I have met Hannah, and from what I have learned from her, she is very close to the man. She told me how Charles was there for her when she lost her husband to Azgeda. I think she is hoping that they will eventually mate. If he feels the same way, he won’t jeopardize that,” Myra said.

“I hope you’re right. I think it is good that we brought her with us. Since she has reunited with Monty, he has been showing her all the good things the ground has to offer, and he has even started teaching her about his business with Jasper,” Clarke began with a smile. She had watched Hanna’s interactions with her son, and she seemed so happy. She hadn’t encountered the woman too many times up on the Ark, but she remembered her as being a dour and angry sort. “She’s a natural saleswoman and seemed to very much enjoy learning about their customers. She also adores Harper, so that’s a plus.” Clarke sat thinking for a moment. “She used to run the agricultural sector of the Ark. I think if we introduced her to some of the farmers, she could help them. I can really see her thriving down here.”

“What else is worrying you? I can see it in your eyes that Pike isn’t your only worry.”

Clarke always marveled at how Myra seemed to know what was going on in her mind. Lexa called it a mother’s intuition. She hoped that she would be as wise as Myra when it came time to take care of her pups. 

“I am worried about the reapers, nomon. No one has talked about the attack when we first found the tunnels back in Ingranrona. The way the females reacted by leaving me alone but then attacking everyone else just like any other ripa makes me wonder what would have happened if they had gotten me alone. Were they protecting me, or were they hoping to capture me? Their behavior went against everything we know about the ripas. And what about the ones that stole the bag with my items in it. I feel like I am a target.”

“I know it is easy to say this and harder to do, but it is pointless to worry about things that are not in your control. It isn’t that your worries are unfounded, but in this case, you need to trust that your houmon is here to protect you, and she won’t ever let anything happen to you or your children. You also need to remember that you have an entire coalition of people who look up to you and will protect you with their lives. You will never be in a position that you will have to face any ripas alone. You are the most precious gift this coalition has been given in many generations. You give our people, and even those who are not, hope for a better future.”

“But what if the cost is my blood? I won’t be someone’s experiment again, and I will rip the throat out of anyone who tries to harm me or my pups.”

Raven chose that moment to come crashing through the doorway. “Whose throats are you ripping out?” she asked, oblivious to what the conversation was about. Anya smacked her in the shoulder seeing that her seken was upset.

“No one’s, dear,” Myra said to Raven, diverting the sable-haired girl’s attention away from Clarke, “and since you two are early, you can go in and set the table. Gustus and Lexa are in there now.”

Raven was about to speak, but Anya dragged her away to do Myra’s bidding.

Myra returned her attention to Clarke and gave her a side hug. “I need you to listen to me now, okay? There is no way that you will ever be someone’s experiment again. You have people who love you, and there are masses of people who respect you. You are our Queen and will be protected at all costs, and when it comes time to attack the Mountain, there is no shame if you are not on the front lines. In fact, I doubt the Commander will allow it. You have spent enough of your life struggling to protect yourself. Now it is time to allow others to do that for you. For now, you are safe, and things are calm, and for the sake of your health and the babes that you carry, you must learn to control your fears before they control you.” Myra patted Clarke’s knee and sat up. “You also need to talk to your wife about what troubles you. If you keep it all in, it will eat you alive.”

“Thank you, nomon. You always help me feel better.” 

“That is because I love you.”

“I love you too, nomon.” 

Dinner was an uproarious affair. It was full of loud laughter and jokes. Tales of Lexa and Costia’s childhood mishaps were shared, and even Anya and Echo parted with a few stories of their own. Raven told a story about how she rigged Pike’s laser pointer to make farting noises every time he used it in one of his classes. The man was addicted to his pointer, and try as he might, he never did figure out how to fix it. The story had tears streaming down everyone’s faces.

Every time Gustus’ booming laugh erupted, Clarke giggled. There was something about hearing the giant man laugh that tickled her to no end. Otherwise, she mostly listened quietly as she ate far more than her fair share. She loved hearing the stories of the sisters’ shared childhood, and she never tired of hearing Myra share the moments that made her most proud of her girls. In the beginning, the stories used to make her sad, reminding her that her past was filled with nothing but pain, but now the stories filled her with a warmth that only having a family could bring. 

She was taking a sip of her tea, trying to decide how to draw a particularly funny scene from one of the stories when a messenger arrived. He had two pieces of news. The first was that the others had finally returned from the visit with the Plains Riders. The trip took longer than expected because one of the Rovers had broken down, and it took Raven instructing Jasper and Eric over the radio an entire day to fix it. The second piece of news soured the mood of the entire evening, and despite how hard she tried to not let it affect her, the flames of Clarke’s worries were stoked again.

Queen Nia had just arrived in Polis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh. Now what does Nia want.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter went in a direction that I had not anticipated...at all, but I quite like how it turned out. I hope you do too.
> 
> Happy reading.

Chapter 14

Low growls erupted from just about everyone at the table. “What the hell is Nia doing here?” Anya asked. 

Lexa strode over to the messenger. “Make sure that Queen Nia is set up in Azgeda’s assigned suites in the tower,” the Commander ordered, “and have dinner sent up to her. I want her comfortable, hopefully so comfortable that she doesn’t leave, but if she does leave, I want no less than four guards on her.” She looked to Anya. “General, I need ten of your best gona to follow her if she leaves. They need to follow her and memorize anything she says. Make sure they remain unseen. I do not want her to know she is being watched.” Anya nodded in understanding.

Before the messenger could leave, she instructed him to inform the Ice Queen that she was expected in the throne room after breakfast tomorrow and that tardiness would not be tolerated.

After the messenger was gone, Clarke and Lexa said their goodbyes. Heda commanded Echo to attend them. Anya left to round up her men, leaving a grumbling Raven behind to help Myra clean up.

As they walked back to the tower, Lexa grilled Echo about why her Queen would be in Polis. Echo argued strenuously that Nia was in no way her Queen, and she denied any knowledge of why Nia had made the long trip to the capitol, especially with winter under way up in the north. Not only would it be hard for Nia to return home because of the many winter storms that would now be hitting her lands, she also would be missed during her people’s hardest time of the year. It was by Nia’s grace that the people lived or died during winter as Nia controlled all the provisions that her people needed to survive. Echo could only hope that whoever had been left in charge would throw away Nia’s greedy tendencies and would freely dole out to the people the supplies that were necessary to live through the harsh winter season.

Gustus and a cadre of guards followed. If Nia was in Polis, the threat to Heda and her Queen had just doubled. There was no reason for Nia to be there. The pending attack on Mount Weather was not worthy of the attention of the Ice Queen. She had ambassadors for that. Clarke knew that until Nia was gone, she wasn’t going to be having any private moments or alone time except while in their tower suites. Since they had arrived home in Polis, Lexa had already increased the number of guards tasked with keeping the Haiplana safe. Clarke had no doubt that Lexa would be increasing that number again since Nia was present.

The elevator doors closed behind them, and Clarke could hear the low, steady growl coming from the Commander. The alpha had unconsciously stepped in front of the omega, shielding her from Echo. Whether Lexa was aware of it or not, her level of trust for Echo had been diminished by the appearance of the Azplaina (Ice Queen), despite the fact that Echo had exhibited only devotion to Clarke, Lexa, and the coalition since they had met. In fact, Clarke had started to trust the alpha implicitly. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt that Echo would protect her above all others. There was a certain feeling she had when Echo was near, she just couldn’t put a finger on what it was.

Lexa’s growl had increased, and while Clarke was unphased by it, it was clear that Lexa was exuding enough pheromones to cause Echo discomfort. The woman was clenching her fists and bearing her neck to Heda.

“Lex,” Clarke tried to get her houmon’s attention. “Lex, you need to stop.” Clarke moved so that she was standing between Echo and the Commander and then placed a comforting hand on the alpha’s shoulder. “Echo isn’t our enemy. She has proven that, so you need to dial it back. You are making her uncomfortable.”

The growling stopped and Echo visibly relaxed. “I apologize, Echo kom Ona Graun. The unexpected appearance of the Azplaina has me unsettled.”

“Thank you, Heda,” Echo replied. “I am sure her arrival was designed to do exactly that. I must admit that I am unsettled too. If she finds out I am here, it will not end well for me.”

Lexa remained in silent contemplation for the remainder of the elevator ride. When the doors opened again, she commanded Echo to follow her to the throne room. Titus was already waiting for them.

The Commander walked to Titus’ side and whispered in his ear. Shock and surprise quickly flitted over his features before he collected himself. The two continued in hushed whispers, discussing something fervently. She then sat on her throne, her entire demeanor having changed from relaxed and casual as it had been at dinner to the hard, steely, and unbreakable Commander that everyone knew her to be. To Echo, she looked more menacing and deadly than she had ever seen her.

Titus puffed himself up and approached Echo. “Echo kom Ona Graun, kneel before your Heda.”

Clarke, who had taken her place on her own throne, could feel fear and uncertainty from the alpha, and watched as Echo approached the Commander before kneeling in front of her. Clarke had no idea what was about to happen, and she worried for her new friend.

“Who do you swear fealty to?” Titus asked the kneeling alpha.

Clarke saw Echo’s body quake, just once, before the alpha answered. “My allegiance is to Heda and the coalition, but it is my Haiplana that has my fealty and commands me. I would die to protect my Queen.” 

Lexa’s face at first remained unreadable, and Clarke feared that Echo may have mis-stepped by not giving her fealty first to the Commander, but then a wicked grin spread across the Commander’s face. “Rise,” she commanded. Echo did not hesitate to comply.

“You have proven yourself and your loyalty to our Queen,” Lexa said formally, “and you may not be aware of it, but your scent and demeanor change whenever you are near her. Many generations ago, before the last omega natblida died, there existed bonds between omega nightbloods and alphas of uncommon loyalty and integrity. Do not mistake it as being the same as a mating bond. This is very different. It is a pull, a need, to protect and serve the omega; to ensure their safety and security while providing friendship and comfort.” Lexa paused.

“It is a bond that we thought no longer existed,” Lexa said. “but the two of you clearly have a connection, and it warms my heart to know that if I can’t be there to protect ai Haiplana, then you will be.”

Clarke could see Echo’s desire to speak, but it was evident that Heda had not finished.

Lexa gracefully rose from her throne to stand before the alpha. “Just as you were never really Echo kom Azgeda, you are no longer Echo kom Ona Graun. Kneel before your Queen and pledge yourself to her. Become Echo kom Polis, Protector of the Queen, and head of the Queen’s Royal Guard.”

Clarke would have laughed at the sudden dropping of Echo’s jaw if hers hadn’t done the exact same thing. As far as she knew, a Queen’s Royal Guard had never existed before, only the Royal Guard. By forming a new unit of protection for Clarke, Lexa had made Echo untouchable as the alpha’s service would now only be to the Haiplana. Nia would have no control over the former Azgedan. She could feel the relief wash over the alpha. Clarke could only hope that Nia didn’t find some underhanded way to punish the former spy.

Echo turned to her and didn’t just kneel, she bowed until her forehead touched the floor. “I swear fealty to you, ai Haiplana. I vow to protect your life at the cost of my own. I am yours to command.”

“And if you should fail her?” Lexa asked.

“Then I will gladly accept my death at the end of your sword, Heda.”

This was not a turn of events Clarke had ever expected when they were returning to the tower. In one fell swoop, Lexa had garnered the loyalty of the former Azgedan spy, protected Clarke, and safely made it so that Nia could never get her hands on the spy again. 

Lexa slightly relaxed her façade and helped the new Protector up from the floor. “I have another question for you, Echo.”

Echo looked apprehensive, but stated, “I will answer anything you want to know, Heda.”

“Do you intend to mate with my sister?” Lexa asked bluntly.

The pale skin of the alpha turned crimson. “I…I, well yes. I have fallen in love with Costia, and I think…I hope she feels the same, but I don’t want to rush her. She has told me about her experience with the boy, Bellamy, and I want her to be ready when I ask.”

Lexa gave Echo a genuine smile. “I think that is a wise decision, Echo kom Polis,” Lexa said, purposefully using Echo’s new title. She held out her arm, and when Echo did the same thing, she grabbed her forearm and gave it a strong shake. “I look forward to the day that I can call you family. You are a rare person, Echo. There are not many who would sacrifice the way you have for your people, and I know that you know that you will have to make many more in service to your Queen. I also know you bear many scars. I have heard that Nia delights in painfully gaining the loyalty of her subjects, especially her spies, so while you do not bear the traditional facial scars of Azgeda, I know there are hidden ones underneath the clothes you wear. Know that we will never purposefully add to those. We do not rule in fear as Nia does, we rule in love; love for our people and love for one another.”

Clarke could see that Echo was floored by Lexa’s speech. She was too, and she could see that Echo initially didn’t know what to say.

The alpha settled for a whispered, “Thank you, Heda,” as she bowed her head. As an afterthought, she said, “Any time I have been above ground, I have lived in fear of Queen Nia. It will be nice not to live that way anymore.” 

Clarke knew it likely wasn’t proper protocol, but hell, Echo’s position was a new one, so there was no established protocol anyway, so she embraced the alpha in a warm hug. “I want you to know,” she said, “that your loyalty and protection mean a lot to me, but Echo, it is your friendship that I will always cherish. I too can’t wait to have you as a member of this family. Costia is a lucky woman.” 

“I am sorry to interrupt, Wanheda,” Titus said as he approached Echo. “There is much to discuss with the Protector before she begins in her new role. I am going to need her for about an hour, and then she will return to take the mark of the Queen.”

Echo seemed okay with this, but Clarke didn’t know what he meant. She waited until Echo and Titus had walked away to ask her alpha. “What did he mean when he said she has to take the mark of the Queen? I didn’t even know I had a mark.

“I had it designed after we returned to Polis after the fall of the Ark. I didn’t know if we would ever need it, so I didn’t tell you about it, but I wanted to have it in the event that you ever needed a Royal Guard of your own.”

“But what is it? I don’t understand why it is necessary,” Clarke said.

“As you know, niron, it has been a very long time since a Commander has ruled with a Natblida Queen by their side, and none of them were Wanheda, so I had to develop a new symbol to represent you and the power you wield. You represent both life and death. You can bring poverty or prosperity, and you can free or imprison people at will.”

Clarke balked at this. “No…no that isn’t me.”

“I know you don’t like it, ai hodnes, but it is the power you wield. You are Wanheda and the Queen. The people will follow you, even if you decide to lay waste to the Ice Nation.”

“But I would never do that,” Clarke protested. She started pacing the room.

Lexa smiled. “I know that, but it is still within your power, so your symbol has to represent that. You need to remember, Clarke, that each coin has two sides. I didn’t say you only represent the negative. I meant nothing of the sort. I only meant that you could. You could command someone’s death, or destitute them with the stroke of a pen, and you could easily imprison those that go against you, but it doesn’t mean that you would. It is more likely that you will use the power within you to bring people peace and prosperity. You already had an idea to help the Ona Graun prosper by using the hot springs to draw in trade, and you are working to free those same people. Just because you are capable of something doesn’t mean you will do it. I am also capable of those things, but I strive to bring peace to our people, just as you do.”

Clarke started to calm down. “So, what exactly is this mark that Echo has to take?

“It is a brand,” Lexa said, and Clarke gasped. “Don’t worry. It is not that big. It will be applied to Echo’s wrist, similar to the location of the tattoo you got.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Let me show it to you. I have it over here.”

Lexa moved to where the fireplace tools were set. She pulled a black iron rod toward her and showed it to Clarke. On the end was the symbol of the Queen, comprised of Heda’s flame upon which stood a scythe.

“Obviously, the symbol of the flame represents me.” Lexa pointed at the metal brand. “The scythe represents you.”

“I don’t understand, why a scythe?”

“Because a scythe can represent both life and death; the circle of life if you will. If used properly, a scythe can give life by cutting crops that provide food for the people and their livestock, and at the same time it can cause death by cutting down the life-giving wheat and allowing it to rot. It can be used to make furrows in the dirt in order to plant seeds, but it can also be used as a weapon to cut down a person.”

“And why is the scythe on top of the flame?”

“Because, niron, you stand below no one, not even me.”

“Wow, that’s a lot to take in. Does it really have to be burned into Echo’s skin?”

“It does,” Lexa said. “To take the brand, to allow herself to be disfigured, albeit minimally, proves her willingness to serve you.”

Clarke passed a hand through her hair. “Okay,” the omega said reluctantly. “Please say I don’t have to be the one to do it.”

Lexa pulled her distressed wife to her. “No, niron. Titus officiates the entire process, but we both must be present.”

Clarke walked back over to her throne and sat down, suddenly exhausted. What was supposed to be a simple dinner with friends and family had turned into so much more because of the arrival of the Azplana. After the meeting with Nia in the morning, Clarke planned to corner Titus and ask him more about the supposed bond she shares with Echo. She knew that Echo had seemed protective of her, but she hadn’t realized that they had some sort of strange bond. Obviously, Lexa had. She wondered if the others had noticed. She also wondered why her alpha hadn’t said anything earlier.

Knowing it was beneath her status to do so while she sat in her throne, Clarke pulled her legs up underneath her. If she was lucky, she would be able to nap, for just a little while, before Titus returned with Echo. If she was really lucky, her alpha might come and massage her tense shoulders. Either way, she planned on trying to relax as much as she could before the meeting with the Ice Queen in the morning. Clarke had a feeling that it was going to be a very bad day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we will get to see just what Nia is up to. I thought it would be this one, but that didn't happen.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a beast. It was hard to write, and I blame Nia for that. She is an uncooperative bitch anywhere she goes. Whether it is in Polis, or in my head, she causes trouble.
> 
> I feel like this chapter is sooo long, probably because it was hard to write, but in reality it is only a little longer than my average. Either way, I hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> Happy reading!

Chapter 15

Clarke was exhausted. After the ceremony to make Echo the official protector to the Queen, everyone had gone on their separate ways with very little fanfare. Lexa and Clarke had only been back in their quarters for about ten minutes before Costia came barging in. She ran directly up to Clarke and pulled her into a tight embrace, thanking her profusely for what she did for Echo.

“It wasn’t me,” Clarke grunted out, barely able to speak because she was being squeezed so hard. “It was all Lexa’s doing.”

The hug abruptly ended, and Costia flung her arms around her sister. “Thank you, Lex. I know you didn’t do it for me, but I was so worried about Echo, knowing the Ice bitch is in Polis.”

Costia kept the two of them up later than Clarke had wanted to be. She finally left the two sisters sitting on the couch, talking, and made her way to bed. Her two cats, Minx and Zodiac followed. They were a comforting presence while she fell asleep. Unfortunately, she woke long before dawn. Somehow Lexa had gotten into bed and curled herself around the omega without her even knowing it. 

Clarke had carefully extricated herself from the alpha. She walked into the main living quarters and looked at some of the gifts Myra, Gustus, and a few others had gotten for her and the pups. She reached down to rub a hand over her abdomen. She could swear that it felt bigger, but it may have just been all the bread she had eaten. She couldn’t be sure, but she liked to think that it was her pups finally making themselves known.

With Dr. Jackson back in Polis, she knew Lexa would be dragging her to see him soon, just to check her over and make sure that she and the babies were okay. Polis’s resident physicians, all of them, had already had a look at Clarke and deemed her fit and healthy, but Lexa wanted Eric’s opinion. Clarke wasn’t sure if it was Eric that she trusted or the technology he possessed. Over the past year, Heda had come to respect Skaikru’s tech and the advances that it could bring the people of the coalition.

Clarke walked over to the table and picked up a pair of onesies that Myra had given her. She didn’t know what they were made from, but the material was soft, and made her want a onesie of her own. Maybe she would have one made for Lexa as well. She would give almost anything to see her big bad alpha in a bright purple onesie. 

Feeling restless, Clarke paced the floor and ended up in the corner where they planned to put the crib when the pups came. She felt drawn to the space. Walking over to the couch, she grabbed the fur hanging from the back of it, placed it on the floor and curled up onto it. Not satisfied, she went back and grabbed onesies. She snuggled them to her chest, but still she didn’t feel settled. 

She ended up getting up several more times until she was satisfied. She ended up lying in a mass of Lexa’s shirts, baby clothes, and furs. She slept with one tiny boot clutched in her hand.

Lexa woke before the sun. She was in the habit of trying to rise before Clarke. She liked to make sure that Clarke had a steaming pot of tea each morning as she watched the sun rise. It had become their morning routine while in Polis. 

Lexa rolled over to kiss her wife while she slept. Mild alarm rose in her chest when she found that Clarke wasn’t there. It was rare that the omega rose before she did.

Getting out of bed, Lexa sniffed the air. It didn’t take her long to scent out where her houmon was. Clarke’s scent had changed. It was sweeter and more enticing to Lexa if that was even possible. It marked a turning point in the omega’s pregnancy. There would be no hiding it from anyone at this point. She followed her nose until she found the omega sleeping in the corner. The alarm in Lexa’s chest rose tenfold. Clarke hadn’t done this since the time that she believed she didn’t deserve to sleep on a bed. With quick strides, she moved over to her love and knelt before her. The omega didn’t stir. Heda’s alarm receded as her eyes quickly traveled over the blonde. What she had feared was a regression in Clarke’s behavior wasn’t that at all. Lexa couldn’t help herself when she moved to cradle her omega next to her and started to purr. She had to move a pile of furs and clothing before she could get to her wife. 

Clarke’s behavior was one that she had heard of but not every pregnant omega did. It was believed that some omegas felt an instinctual pull to create a safe space for their children and for themselves to hide in if it became necessary. It was said to go back to the time just after the bombs fell when shelter was scarce and pregnancies rare. The population was struggling to survive, and it was a dog eat dog world. The race to procreate and repopulate the world led to alphas fighting and killing each other all for the right to breed with an omega. In the beginning it was the omegas with all the power because it came down to them to choose their mates, and usually the most powerful alpha won. Then, however, things began to shift, and the alphas simply began to overpower the omegas, forcing submissions, often killing them in the process. It was a brutal world that most were lucky to survive. Out of need, omegas went into hiding. Slowly things started to settle. With so many omegas in hiding, the alphas had no choice but to start working together. Clans started to form out of the need for cooperation and gradually things started to improve for the omegas. They were able to come out of hiding, and no longer did alphas force themselves upon them. The population began to rebuild itself, but the need to protect the unborn didn’t immediately leave the omegas. Once pregnant, many still left to find themselves a safe place to bear their pups. They found caves, broken down but well-hidden buildings, and bunkers to safely nest themselves into until their pups were born. 

The behavior Clarke was exhibiting was akin to old times. Clarke was nesting.

Lexa nestled her nose into Clarke’s hair, inhaling deeply. With this new phase in Clarke’s pregnancy and the sudden arrival of Nia in Polis, it was no wonder the omega the need to create a safe space, even if she was about to be the most protected person in the coalition.

A soft knock on the door stirred Lexa into action. She silently withdrew herself from around her wife and went to the door, figuring it was the morning tea. It was, but it was Myra who was delivering it. Lexa opened the door but pressed a finger to her lips before pointing to the omega in the corner. 

Myra smiled and kept quiet. Lexa didn’t know it, but she too had nested while pregnant with each of her pups. She padded past the door and made her way to the table where she placed the tray she was carrying. She did it all without making a sound. She then walked over to where Clarke was sleeping. Breathing deeply, she sensed the change in Clarke. Turning to her daughter, she gave her a hug and whispered, “Things are going to start moving quickly now. She will be showing before you know it.”

Lexa’s nomon walked back to the table and poured two cups of tea. “Should we wake Clarke?” Lexa asked. “The sun is about to rise.”

“I would let her sleep. She’s going to need it, especially if today goes as well as we all anticipate.”

“True.” 

Mother and daughter sat in the quiet comfort of the room as they watched the omega who was so dear to them sleep. To their left, they could see the sun rising through the glass doors that led to the balcony. They had opened the curtains in hopes that the filtered sunlight would gently bring their Queen to wakefulness. 

It worked. Clarke began to stir. She rolled over and stretched, smiling at the way she was huddled in the warmth of furs and Lexa’s scent. It made her feel safe and protected. Before opening her eyes, she knew something was different, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was. She felt good, but she also felt a burning protectiveness deep in her stomach, and she didn’t quite understand it since there was obviously no threat present.

When she opened her eyes, they roved until they landed on Lexa and Myra sitting at the table. They both smiled down on her.

“Sonop (good morning), ai hodnes,” Lexa said and rose to greet her wife. The alpha got on her hands and knees so that she could give Clarke a kiss. “You were busy last night.”

Clarke looked at the mound of furs and clothing she was buried in. She found Zodiac under a set of baby clothing. The other cat, Minx, was busy begging Myra for attention. She grinned up at Lexa then around at the pile again.

“I don’t know why I did this. I just…I just…”

“It’s called nesting.” Myra said. She walked over with a contented kitty held in her arms. “I’ll let Lexa explain it to you later. Just know it is completely a natural thing for someone in your state to do.”

“Um, okay,” Clarke said, confused. She uncovered herself and stood up. Myra handed her some tea which she gratefully sipped.

“That feeling you are probably having,” Myra reached her hand forward and placed it just under Clarke’s breastbone, “is going to steadily grow until your children are born. It is a sign that the pregnancy is healthy and viable. Most believe that once you start feeling it, nothing, bar serious injury, can take your pups away from you now. It is why you will do anything to protect them.” Myra beamed at Clarke. “You will carry to full term.”

A feeling of relief washed over Clarke. She hadn’t even realized just how worried she was. She turned and looked at her nest. “Let me put all of this away.”

Lexa stopped her. “Don’t. You’ll just make another one tonight if you do.”

A knock sounded on the door. “Come,” Lexa commanded.

The door opened to a very regal and very intimidating looking Echo. Clarke had no idea how she had been outfitted so quickly, but the alpha before her stood in finery that rivaled Lexa’s, and her own, formal regalia. 

The outfit Echo wore was one fit to serve her Queen. She stood resolute while three pairs of eyes took in the sight of her, and Clarke could feel the pride the alpha exuded. The alpha wore shiny, black leather pants that had been reinforced at the knees and thighs to prevent injury during an attack. Both hips sported wicked looking 3-pointed daggers (Clarke thought they were called sais), and her feet were clad in supple yet protective black boots that came up to mid-calf. Clarke had no doubt that the toes of the boots had been reinforced with steel. No other weapons could be seen, but the omega knew that there were probably many hidden on Echo’s body.

Echo’s top half was covered with both leather and metal armor. The chest plate bore the symbol of the queen with both the symbol of the flame and the sickle very prominent. There would be no questioning where Echo’s loyalty lay. Pinned to her protective shoulder gear was a flowing cape of deep midnight blue flecked with tiny, almost imperceptible bits of yellow. It looked like the faint stars at night. The dark blue gradually faded to a lighter, brighter blue, and the bottom of the cape was rimmed with bright gold. The cape was a subtle nod to Clarke’s life since landing on Earth. It looked easily removable and only to be worn for meetings (such as the upcoming one with Nia) and for special ceremonies. Clarke was certain that beneath the cape the alpha Protector would be able to place the scabbards of her dual swords.

“The darkest night fades to dawn bringing with it light and hope,” Myra mused. “You look very handsome, alpha.”

Echo’s blush could barely be seen under her warpaint. Just as the omegas had during the battle for the Ark, Echo wore her paint to match that of Wanheda’s. Multiple tiny braids rimmed her forehead, and the hair that had been left free to flow down her back was adorned with red beads, representing her duty to Heda.

“She’s not just handsome, nomon, she is the hottest thing Polis has seen since Raven started her first lab on fire.” Costia came bounding in.

Now Echo’s blush could be seen.

Echo bowed deeply to Clarke before addressing her. “My Queen, Heda, the throne room is ready. Nia is expected to arrive in an hour.”

Clarke and Lexa sat side by side on their thrones, Anya to Heda’s left and Echo to Wanheda’s right. Titus stood to the side. Numerous other guards lined the walls, some visible, some not. While Anya and Echo’s faces sported warpaint, the rulers of the coalition had kept their faces plain. 

When the guard at the door announced Nia’s arrival, Lexa made her wait five full minutes before allowing the doors to be opened. She did it just to piss of the Ice Queen off. “Are you ready?” she whispered to Clarke.

Clarke nodded once and Lexa had the guard open the door.

The Ice Queen strode in, holding herself tall. She wore a white fur over her shoulders and a crown of bones on her head. Clarke found it disturbing. On her left was a dark-haired woman who had heavy facial scarring. On her right was a tall man with a neatly trimmed beard and light ice-blue eyes that matched those of the Ice Queen’s. He must be the Azgedan Prince that Clarke had heard so much about.

“You have travelled a great distance, Azplana, to what do we owe the honor?” Lexa asked calmly.

The Ice Queen, who did indeed looked pissed because of having to wait, ignored Lexa as she scented the air. Her companions did the same. She smiled a fake, sweet smile. “It would appear that congratulations are in order. I see you finally got around to breeding your omega.” The woman on her left snickered, but the Prince looked uncomfortable. He gave Clarke an apologetic look. This meeting had started exactly as the blonde knew it would.

Lexa let out a menacing growl. “We all know exactly how you feel about omegas, Nia. Your arguments that they should serve from their knees grow old. The laws are clear. I do hope I don’t need to send my warriors into Azgeda to make sure you are enforcing them.” Lexa pulled out her dagger, as she often did, and spun it in her hands. “Besides, as I recall, omegas are not the only ones that can be brought to their knees. I seem to remember quite clearly that your Queen has had you on yours. Surely you haven’t forgotten.”

The pale, almost translucent skin of the Azplana went almost purple in rage, and Heda gave a wicked grin. “I see you do remember.”

The woman on Nia’s side didn’t seem to know what was happening. She looked from Nia to Lexa to Clarke. “That is not true. No omega can make an alpha submit. That is a crock of skrish.”

Nia grabbed the woman’s wrist and crushed it in a fierce grip. “Silence, Ontari.”

“Moba (sorry), Azplana.” The alpha bowed her head.

“Tell us why you are here, Nia, so that we can get this unpleasantness over with.”

Nia’s blue eyes narrowed before sliding over to land on Echo. “I had wanted to address the issue of my missing people, the people that you have done nothing to find, but now I realize that we need to address the issue that there is a deserter from my army standing behind your omega.”

Lexa calmly rose from her chair, letting out just enough pheromones to make the three people in front of her uncomfortable. “You will address your Queen with the respect she deserves, or you will spend your nights in a cell until you can learn to do so.”

“Perhaps she needs a reminder of why I deserve that respect, Heda.” Clarke moved to stand next to the Commander.

It was clear that Nia did not want a repeat performance of how her first meeting with Clarke went, so she instantly gave a short bow and exposed her neck. “I apologize my Queen. The appearance of my spy standing behind you caught me by surprise. If she is standing with you, that means she has deserted her post, and that is a punishable offense.” 

“As a member of this coalition, you may want to remember that at any time, if the need arises, I can conscript anyone into the Royal Guard. As you so impolitely pointed out, Wanheda is with child, and she is in need of extra protection. Echo has willingly stepped into the position.”

Nia growled and tried to reign in her emotions, but she couldn’t keep the anger off her face. “She is one of my best gona, I demand you place someone else in her position.”

“You are in no position to make demands, Nia, especially where Echo is concerned. Tell me Azplana, do you know which village she grew up in or how she came to be in your service?” Lexa moved into Nia’s personal space forcing the woman to step back.

“It does not matter. All Azgedans who are fit serve in my army.”

A knowing smile crept across Clarke’s face. “Then you will be happy to know that Echo is not Azgedan. She was taken to you by your men, and you forced her to serve you. She bears the scars of that submission. I don’t think you care if she serves me. I think you are afraid that she might tell me your secrets; the secrets that only an Azgedan spy would know.”

Nia whirled on Clarke. “How dare you! This whelp,” she said pointing an accusatory finger at Echo, “was found wandering my lands and stealing resources needed by me, an act punishable by death, but she told my men that she had no clan and was just trying to survive. When they brought her to me, I had mercy on her, and allowed her to train with my gona. She is lucky I didn’t throw her in the ice pits to die.”

Echo was in front of Wanheda in an instant with her weapons drawn. “You will step no closer to the Queen.” Clarke wanted to flatten the Ice bitch with her pheromones, but that would undermine Echo’s position, so she stood back. 

The woman, Ontari, moved to defend her own Queen. She went for the weapon at her side. 

“Touch that weapon and you will die, alpha.” This was said by Anya.

“EM PLENI!” Lexa roared. She had finally had enough and brought the three visitors to their knees. “I have had enough of your insolence.”

Nia started to laugh even as she struggled to fight Lexa’s dominance. “We, the people of the coalition have had enough of you, Heda.” She spit out Lexa’s title as a slur. “You rule by dominance alone, but can beat my best warrior in a fair fight without pheromones? I doubt it. You may be a powerful alpha, but without your pheromones, you are just another weak and pathetic pup.”

Clarke saw that this is what Nia had wanted all along. No matter how this day had played out it was going to end with Nia forcing Lexa into a fight.

Lexa stepped back. She stopped blasting the people in front of her and rolled her eyes. “Let’s get this over with. Make your challenge.”

Nia stood, evil sneer on her face. “I challenge Heda kom Trikru to fight Ontari kom Azgeda in a fight to the death, and should my warrior win, she gets the throne and the Queen.”

Titus calmly stepped forward. “Should Heda fall, the Haiplana can rule alone. Only a natblida can become Commander.”

Ontari stepped next to Nia. Not daring to draw her weapon, she bit the tip of her finger. Gasps from across the room could be heard when a small dot of black blood appeared.

It was Titus’s turn to growl. “All natblidas are to report to Polis upon discovery.”

Lexa placed on hand on her advisor’s shoulder. “What is done is done. I accept your challenge. Tomorrow morning, we will fight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we get badass Lexa. I can't wait.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a rare weekday off, so I spent some of it writing this chapter. I like it. I hope you do too.
> 
> Happy reading.

Chapter 16

Clarke was pacing across the floor. She knew she didn’t need to be, but she was nervous about tomorrow morning. Lexa wasn’t just the coalition’s most powerful alpha she was also their greatest warrior. There was no one better than she was, so she couldn’t understand what had her so upset. There was no way that Ontari kom Azgeda could beat Lexa.

“Niron, you need to stop pacing and sit down and eat. You should have eaten hours ago.” Normally, Clarke would have eaten two people’s worth of food by now.

“I can’t!” Clarke said as she spun to face Lexa for the umpteenth time in her pacing. “I just can’t shake the feeling the Nia is up to something. There’s more to this challenge that just the fight. She’s offering up Ontari as a sacrificial lamb, and she doesn’t care that her nightblood is going to die.” Clarke turned to pace the other direction. “Why would she go through all the trouble of hiding a natblida from you just to risk losing her in a fight to the death? The challenge was made too easily. Something isn’t adding up.”

“I agree, ai hodnes, and I have already sent out my best spies to discover what she is up to, but until then, you need to rest, and you need to eat. It’s not good for you or the pups to skip a meal.”

Clarke finally plunked herself down into a chair. She begrudgingly filled a plate and tried to eat, but she had no appetite. “How can you be so calm about all of this?” Clarke asked as stabbed a piece of meat repeatedly with her fork.

Lexa reached forward and stopped the omega’s assault on the piece of boar. “I have been dealing with Nia and her tricks for many years, niron. This is just another attempt for her to try and take my throne. She has always wanted it and control over the Coalition.”

“She will have to wrestle it from our cold, dead hands. That woman will never get Polis,” Clarke grumbled as she reluctantly chewed a piece of food. 

Lexa moved to stand behind her agitated wife. She started massaging her shoulders causing Clarke to moan. “Clarke, you are tired, and you are upset. Let’s go to bed. Tomorrow is another day, and I am going to be fine. There is no sense in worrying about things you don’t have control over.” Lexa’s hands moved to work on a particularly tight muscle in her houmon’s shoulder. “After I defeat Ontari tomorrow, we will figure out what the Ice Queen is up to.”

The omega tipped her head sideways so it could rest on Lexa’s hand. “Okay.” Clarke finished her meal and then the two leaders helped each other get ready for bed. 

Once they were snuggled together under the warm furs of their bed, Lexa started to purr. She could feel that her wife was still unsettled.

“You have to know that I will always worry about you, Lex, even when a fight or a battle is a sure thing.”

“I know, niron, and if it was you fighting in the morning, I would be worried too. It is the nature of being mated.”

Clarke pulled Lexa closer to her. “If that Ice bitch leaves even a scratch on you, I will kill her myself.”

Lexa stood ready in the middle of Polis’s fighting arena. She had warmed up by sparring with her wife, and now Clarke was seated on her throne in the viewing box with Anya and Echo flanking her. Costia and Myra sat just below and in front of the coalition’s Queen. Because of the need for safety amongst the crowd, the ambassadors sat in their own viewing box. Nia had not been happy to have to sit with the members of the other clans. Because she was her nation’s Queen, and not an ambassador, she felt she deserved a spot of honor as well, arguing strenuously that she should be sitting in the same box as Wanheda. Despite all her arguments and posturing, the Ice alpha lost her sharply worded battle, and Titus took great pleasure in escorting her to her seat. They had at least provided Nia with a throne of sorts. It was rickety, and rather ugly, but it was still a throne.

The coalition’s mightiest alpha looked over towards her opponent. Just like Lexa, she wore a tight black shirt with armor overlaying her shoulders, chest, and back. Both wore flexible leather pants and boots that would allow for easy movement. Unlike Lexa with her dual swords, Ontari wielded a shorter and wider weapon. Lexa had seen Nia hand it to her earlier. She carried it in her right hand, leaving her left free to pick up a shield with her left. Roan was standing next to the Azgedan alpha. It looked like he was giving her some last-minute tips. Upon close inspection, the alpha natblida looked nervous. Underneath the fierce warpaint and facial scarring, Lexa realized that Ontari was just a young woman, maybe two or three years younger than Clarke. She thought about what this young nightblood must have gone through while under Nia’s care. She doubted that the Azgedan Queen was any less harsh on her than any of her other people, in fact, it was likely that this alpha had suffered greatly in order to become the nightblood Nia would need to try and overthrow Lexa. She couldn’t help feeling a twinge of regret for the poor girl. 

Both warriors came to stand together when Titus stood and announced the challenge. Lexa’s eyes traveled over her family. First her sister and mother, then Clarke. Clarke’s face registered complete indifference, looking almost as if she were bored, but Lexa could feel her mate’s nerves. She was glad that Wanheda was able to hide how she was feeling from the masses. If Lexa were to fail today and die at the hands of Ontari, Clarke would need every bit of strength she possessed to maintain her position and keep control of Polis and the Coalition. She would not be able to show any weakness if she hoped to defeat Nia and Ontari in their attempts to usurp her power.

“Stot au (begin),” Titus boomed.

Lexa spun and attacked her opponent without mercy, and she was pleasantly surprised that the other alpha was able to defend herself and avoid Heda’s hits. Good, the Commander thought. She was ready for the challenge of a real fight.

She stepped back while slowly swirling her swords and let the other warrior advance on her. She wanted to know what this girl was made of, and Ontari didn’t disappoint. She advanced on Lexa, swinging her sword menacingly. They both grunted at the force when her weapon came crashing down only to be caught in between the metal of Lexa’s double swords. The dark-haired Azgeda kicked out then, catching Heda on the chest, sending her crashing to the ground. 

The crowd gasped, but the Commander was already spinning and getting back on her feet. She wasn’t quite fast enough, and Ontari scored a small, shallow cut on Lexa’s arm.

“Very good strik (little) alpha. You have drawn first blood, but I will draw the last.” She then narrowed her eyes and roared as she charged the stunned Azgedan. “Do you really think you can defeat me, yongon, and do you really think your Queen cares if you live or if die? She is zokabogen (untrustworthy), and even if you were to kill me, you would be a puppet in her regime. You would always bow to her even if you did become Commander.” Lexa’s swords were moving so fast, that all Ontari could do was defend herself against the powerful strikes, and all the crowd could see was the flash of the metal. The girl kept stepping backward until her back was pressing against the wood below the ambassador’s viewing box. 

Heda could see that Nia was standing now, sneering down at her personal natblida. “Gonplei, branwoda gada (Fight, foolish girl),” the Ice Queen screamed, her thick, icy accent coloring each word. “Taim yu wan op, yu don’t wan op Azgedan. Yu wan op bilaik nothing. Yu wan op bilaik a bushhada (If you die, you don’t die an Azgedan, you die as nothing. You die as a coward).”

An almost inaudible whimper escaped the poor girl before she pushed herself off the wall to press her next attack, but Lexa easily blocked it and left a deep cut across the young nightblood’s abdomen. Black blood oozed from the wound. “Did you hear your Queen? She called you a coward. Prove to her you are not,” Lexa spewed, taunting the girl.

Once again, the Commander stepped back to allow the other alpha to advance. It saddened her that she now saw a look of resignation on Ontari’s face. It seemed as if she had accepted her fate. Lexa held her swords far out to the side and continued to taunt the girl as she moved to the far side of the arena, and out of Nia’s hearing. She moved and attacked and turned them so that she blocked Ontari from everyone’s view. Both women scored a few more hits on each other as the battle played out.

“Ontari, you do not have to die this day. Submit to me, willingly, and you can live a long life. You can join the natblidas here. They are your family. I am your family. We are nightbloods and we stick together. Nia has used you unfairly to play her game. Can’t you see that you have been nothing but a pawn? She knows you can’t win this. You were always going to be sent here to die.”

Ontari faltered but kept her sword raised. “That isn’t true. I am to be royalty. You are weak, and the Coalition needs a new ruler.” She swung her sword at Lexa, but the attack was half-hearted.

Lexa swept Ontari’s feet from under her and pinned her to the ground with the tip of her sword. “Do you hear yourself? The Coalition doesn’t need a ruler. I don’t rule the Coalition. I lead it. There is a huge difference between the two things, and if you can’t understand that then maybe death really is the best thing for you.”

She allowed Ontari to gain her feet. “I am going to give you a choice, Ontari kom Azgeda, something I am sure you are not used to getting. You can choose to live, and become Ontari Natblida, or you can choose to die here today. There is no going back to Azgeda. Listen to her,” Lexa said indicating Nia. “Can you hear her?”

Ontari could. She could hear the Ice Queen screaming at her. She kept heaing the words bushhada (coward), and Azgeda no mou (no more). The Queen she has so faithfully served had already abandoned her, and the fight wasn’t even over yet.

Deep brown eyes gazed at the Commander, and Lexa could see that the girl had made her decision. With a loud clang, her sword dropped to the ground. The shield she had been holding had been lost earlier in the battle. She turned and faced the crowd.

“I, Ontari kom Azgeda, submit willingly to Heda,” she yelled for everyone to hear. She dropped to her knees and exposed her neck, knowing that Lexa could easily slash her sword across her neck. “She is the one true alpha, and my Commander.”

Nia roared. Before anyone knew what was happening the Ice Queen was launching herself over the barrier separating her from the floor of the arena. She had a dagger pulled, ready to strike. 

“You think by submitting to her you are saving your pathetic life? You will die today you insolent bushhada. Yu ste kwelen (you are weak). Yu don otaim been kwelen (you have always been weak).” Nia spit on the girl.

A wave of pheromones hit the Ice bitch causing her to stumble and fall to her knees, but they didn’t come from Lexa. They were coming from Wanheda. Clarke was standing in front of her throne. “Raise your weapon another inch, and I swear your bowels will cover every inch of this arena.” The blonde was growling threateningly as she descended the steps that led her to her alpha.

“The fight is over. You demanded they fight without the use of pheromones, and that is exactly what you got. Ontari has willingly submitted. It is Heda’s choice if she lives or dies today, Azplana, not yours.”

Clarke didn’t release her hold on Nia as she slowly helped Ontari to her feet. The young natblida looked at her former Queen who was struggling to rise.

Lexa gently grabbed the Azgedan alpha by the shoulders and turned her to face the crowd. “I hereby announce that Ontari is Azgeda no mou. She will join her rightful place with other nightbloods. She will join them in their training and from here on out be known as Ontari Natblida.”

The group of nightblood children, who had been sitting calmly in the stands started cheering, and it was only a few seconds before the entire crowd joined in. Chants of Heda, Heda, Heda, swept through the air.

“Mochof (thank you), Heda. I swear to follow both you and Wanheda faithfully.” 

Lexa could see that the girl was overwhelmed with everything that had happened. Clarke could too, so she suggested, “Why don’t you go over and meet your new family. I bet they are eager to meet you.”

Wide brown eyes darted from Clarke to the group of nightblood children and back to Clarke. “I…uh…I would like that, but I think I need a fisa (doctor) first.” Black blood was still exuding from her wound. 

“Ah, yes, of course.” Clarke blushed at her mistake. “You can meet them later.” Clarke pointed to two gona and had them escort Ontari to the fisa’s tent.

Once Ontari had exited the fighting arena, all eyes landed on the Azplana, who was still kneeling in the dirt. She was grunting in her effort to fight Clarke’s hold.

“Your plan to unseat me has failed, Nia.”

“I haven’t failed yet, Heda,” Nia spit out. “Our people are still missing, and you have done nothing to find them. It won’t be long before more people go missing and the rest of the clans will see how weak and incompetent you are.”

Knowing what was coming next, Clarke released her hold on the Azplana. “YOU DARE QUESTION ME?” Lexa roared so load that some people in the crowd covered their ears. “You have no idea what I have been doing to find our people. Just because you don’t know something does not mean that something isn’t being done.” 

Lexa circled Nia, using her own dominance to hold Nia in place. “You are not, and will not ever be, privy to everything I do. I DO NOT answer to you Azplana. I answer to our people, and if you had been patient, you would have learned everything that has been going on. Instead, tonight you will pack your things, and in the morning, you will be escorted back to Azgeda. You will not return to Polis until you are summoned. You will leave Roan here as your new ambassador, and when he sees fit, he will send messengers to give you the information he deems important enough for you to know.”

Roan, who was still standing in the viewing box, bowed and presented his neck to Heda showing that he understood what she had said.

“Have I made myself clear, Azplana?”

“Yes, Heda,” Nia reluctantly agreed. She stood when Lexa released her hold. Several of Lexa’s men moved to surround the Ice Queen. 

“Good. Get her out of my sight.” The gona forced Nia to walk in front of them, and Lexa finally relaxed when the woman was out of her sight. She watched as the crowd quickly dispersed. Now that the excitement was over, they all went back to going about their day.

“This isn’t over,” Clarke said ominously.

“No, it isn’t. This was all too easy.”

“It was. Do you think you can trust Ontari?” Clarke asked as she led Lexa to see her personal fisa. She thought she would have Jackson take a look at her as well. He was supposed to giving Clarke a checkup, so may as have him look Lexa over as well. The Commander hadn’t come out of the fight completely unscathed, however, none of the wounds she received looked deep or life-threatening. Most were shallow cuts.

“Absolutely not. We don’t know how long Nia has had her claws in her, and I expect there will be a tremendous amount of conditioning that we will need to try and undo. It’s actually a standard part of the training the nightbloods receive. As you know, most come to us very young, but sometimes, they come to us much older. You would be surprised how many come from broken families, or how many have faced hardships that none should face at such a young age.”

Clarke made a face, and Lexa caught what she was saying. “Okay, scratch that. You know exactly what that is like, so that means you also know that what has been done in the past can be overcome. It might be good if you could spend some time with her. Let her know a little bit about your past. You might find you have a lot in common. It could help her.”

Clarke was happy that Lexa could be optimistic about the natblida, but she knew she was also nothing if not realistic. “And what if it doesn’t help? She did what she needed to save her life today, but what if she acts out? What if she tries to find a way to take your throne again.”

“Then she will be killed. It is as simple as that. I cannot allow her to challenge me again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure that Ontari was going to survive this chapter (I wasn't sure about Nia either), but it looks like she did. Let's just hope she hasn't been so brainwashed by Nia that she isn't able to change. Guess we will have to wait and see.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was rewatching season 1 and episode 10 very, very loosely inspired this chapter. It took a while to write which is why it took so long to post it, but for that, it is almost twice the length of my normal chapters.
> 
> Happy reading.

Chapter 17

“Good morning, Lex.” Clarke nestled her nose into her alpha’s warm neck. The omega had been up since before dawn, as usual, and she wanted to make love to her sweet houmon. Last night Lexa had been too tired. The fight with Ontari had taken more out of her than she had expected, and the alpha had retired to bed early. “Wake up. It’s way past the time you usually get out of bed, and we have a meeting with the ambassadors in two hours. That will barely be enough time to do what I want to do to you.”

Lexa groaned but didn’t wake up.

“Lex, come on ai alpha. Wake up for me, love.” Clarke was beginning to get concerned. Her wife was always alert, even when she slept. She could wake at the drop of a pin. The omega pressed a kiss to the alpha’s forehead. Lexa was burning up. In the dim light of the room, the omega hadn’t noticed how flushed her wife was.

Clarke thought back to the night before. Her wife had been unusually tired even though her match with Ontari had hardly compared to the matches she had witnessed between her houmon and Anya. She had seemed uncharacteristically disengaged during dinner while everyone was celebrating her win against Nia, and the alpha had barely cracked a smile when Myra and Costia started teasing each other about some goofy thing that Costia used to do when she was young. To top it off, she hadn’t even finished her meal which was highly unusual for the alpha after a hard day of fighting. Clarke had chalked it up to the stress of the day, but now she was beginning to think something much more sinister was going on.

She tried one more time to rouse her wife. She peppered the alpha’s face with kisses, and when that didn’t work, she started shaking her wife vigorously. When she was unsuccessful, she ran to the door and sent the guard after the fisa (doctor), Jackson, and Myra. She next went to the basin and put cold water on a cloth. She cursed herself as she wrung out the cloth for never paying more attention when she was in the medical wing on the Ark. She had spent so much time there, albeit she was usually restrained on a stretcher, but she should have learned something about how to treat a fever. She didn’t know what to do for her alpha.

Running back to the bed she placed the cool cloth on the Commander’s forehead. “Damnit Lexa, wake up.” She started frantically shaking Lexa’s shoulders again.

Green eyes opened briefly. They were completely bloodshot. Where there was once white, there was now solid black. Clarke had never seen anything like it. “Go back to sleep, niron. It’s too early to be awake.” The words were barely decipherable.

Clarke was in full panic mode now. “No, no, no. Stay awake. The sun has been up for two hours.” 

If Lexa had been within her right mind, this would have had her leaping from the bed and getting ready in a hurry. There was no one in Polis more punctual than Heda. Clarke was nearly in tears when she heard a knock at the door.

“Nomon,” the near hysterical omega said. “She’s sick. I don’t know what to do.”

Myra ran to her daughter, as did the fisa; a woman named Silene that Clarke had seen many times since she found out she was pregnant.

“What’s wrong with her?” Clarke needed to know what was happening to her wife.

“Help me sit her up,” Silene said to Myra. The doctor forced the sleeping alpha into a sitting position while Myra shoved enough pillows behind her daughter to keep her upright. Silene pried one of Lexa’s eyes open and Myra whimpered at the sight of the bloodshot eyes.

“Jus (blood) fever,” Silene announced, and Clarke didn’t know what that meant but based on Myra’s horrified look, Clarke knew it was bad.

“I don’t understand. How is that possible?” Myra said. “She caught Jus fever when she first became Heda. She should be immune now.”

“I don’t know, but the eyes do not lie,” Silene announced. “Show me the wounds from her fight.”

When Clarke didn’t respond, Myra intervened. “Clarke,” Myra said, getting the young omega’s attention. Clarke was too busy freaking out.

“Uh, yeah, of course. Moba.” She hesitated then pulled Lexa’s shirt off exposing two small cuts on her abdomen and a cut on her arm. The dressings that should have been dry were saturated with black blood. Clarke couldn’t help it, she started to cry. The wounds that seemed like simple cuts last night now had dark lines extending from them going in all directions. The surrounding skin was an angry red. 

“Feisbona (poison),” Myra screeched out. “That jokking natblida poisoned her blade.”

Clarke couldn’t make sense of what was going on. How could it be poison? Fucking Nia and her fucking natblida alpha, Clarke thought. Nia knew Lexa was going to win the fight, so she found another way to hurt Clarke’s alpha. Didn’t the Azgedans have any honor? Clarke was getting angry now.

“Is there a cure?” Clarke asked, worry coloring her voice. 

Sad eyes looked up at her before Myra said, “There isn’t. She has to fight it off herself.”

“You said she’s had it before, so that means she can fight it again, right?”

Silene spoke next. “We don’t know. No one ever gets Jus fever twice. You either survive it or you don’t, and if you do, you are immune.”

Clarke leaned over her wife then. She stroked her fingers through her hair and kissed her on her forehead. “Lex, I’m gonna be right back, okay? I have something I need to do and then I’m going to come back to you. You are strong, and you are going to fight. Our pups need you. I need you, so you will fight. Do you hear me?” Lexa groaned. “Good. Show everyone why you are top alpha.”

Clarke stood and looked at Myra. “Where are all the natblidas?”

Myra thought for a minute. “They should be in the classrooms with Titus right now.”

“Okay. Good…good.” Clarke went to the door and sent the guard to cancel the meeting with the ambassadors. “Make sure they do not get wind of what has happened and send Echo to me.”

“Sha, Wanheda.”

Clarke walked to the closet and started to dress. She carefully put on her armor making sure nothing was out of place, and then went to the shelf that held the warpaint. She smeared it on her face and made sure to look as menacing and as powerful as possible. 

Echo walked through the door and bowed to Clarke. “Wanheda.”

“Take me to Nia.”

Echo shuffled on her feet and didn’t look Clarke in the eyes. “I’m sorry, Wanheda, but she is already gone. She was escorted out of the city before dawn.”

“Jok,” Clarke screamed. “Take me to the nighbloods then.”

“Clarke, what are you doing?” Myra asked, blocking the omega’s egress.

“I’m going to go figure out exactly what Ontari put on that blade so that we can find a cure, and then I am going to kill her.”

“We just told you that Lexa has Jus fever. There isn’t a cure.”

“Didn’t you just say that she was poisoned? I know I don’t know much about medicine, but does poison usually cause Jus fever?” Clarke was pacing in front of the bed, stealing glances at her wife who except for the exposed wounds looked to be sleeping peacefully.

Silene looked at Myra then at Clarke. Deep in thought, she took a minute to respond to Clarke. “We honestly don’t know what causes Jus fever, but I don’t think it is poison. Based on the shape her wounds are in, maybe I am wrong.” Clarke could see that it was hard for the fisa to admit her error. “Maybe this isn’t Jus fever at all. Whatever poison was used, it is obvious that it mimics Jus fever. I would guess that it is something very similar.”

“And that is why we need to know what Ontari put on that blade because if it is poison, then there may be a cure. I will not sit here and do nothing while my wife fights for her life.”

Just as Clarke was about to walk out the door, Dr. Jackson stepped in. “Haiplana. What’s wrong?”

“It’s our Heda. She’s fallen ill, and the fisa and Myra think it might be poison. I need you to do whatever is necessary to figure out what’s wrong with her. Please heal her for me, Eric.”

“I will do everything I can, Clarke, I promise.” He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze as he walked past her with his medical kit in his hands. The omega didn’t leave until she saw that he was indeed taking care of her houmon.

“Echo, with me.” Clarke strode out the door. She headed for the stairs, not wanting to waste time with the elevator. She only needed to descend a few flights of steps to get to the classrooms. When she arrived, Echo only a step behind, she could hear yelling coming from the room. Even with the doors closed, she could smell the pheromones coming from inside.

“Do not let Ontari leave this room,” she said to Echo then crashed through the doors. To Clarke’s surprise, the only occupants of the room were the young nightblood alpha, Aden, and Ontari. It appeared they were having a standoff in the middle of the room. They were both pumping out dominant pheromones, but neither was submitting. They were evenly matched.

“What is the meaning of this?” Clarke roared. She stomped over to the natblidas.

“She is a cheater, Wanheda, and now Heda is sick.” The boy had tears in his eyes.

“How do you know this already?” Clarke snapped.

“It’s the tower, Haiplana. News always travels fast to the natblidas,” he said, not taking his eyes of his rival.

“I didn’t cheat in the fight,” Ontari cried. “I swear it on my life, Haiplana.”

“Your life will be forfeited if your Commander dies, so do not lie to me.” Clarke yelled.

Clarke’s appearance was enough to distract the female alpha, and that was enough for Aden to reach for his dagger and hold it up to Ontari’s neck. The Azgedan froze. She had no weapon to defend herself.

“Stand down, Aden.”

“No. She hurt ai Heda.”

“That is an order, Aden Natblida.” Clarke was barely containing her anger, and she was overwhelmed by her concern for her wife, but there was something about the look in Ontari’s eyes that made her want to believe the young alpha.

“Moba, Wanheda.” Aden removed the dagger from Ontari’s neck and stepped back, but he did not remove himself from the situation. He stood protectively next to his Queen. 

Clarke stared at the dark-haired alpha until the girl started to shift uncomfortably. She then lowered her gaze and dropped to her knees before the omega. She exposed her neck. “I swear, Wanheda. I did not poison the Commander. It was not me.”

“You are the only one that could have. You poisoned the blade,” Aden accused.

“I didn’t,” Ontari protested. “I didn’t even have a weapon on me before I entered the ring. Ask the gaurds, they searched me. They also checked Queen Nia. Once we were in the ring, they told me to choose my weapon, but before I could, Nia went and picked one out for me. I did not do this, Haiplana, I did not poison the blade.”

“Tell me the truth, Azgedan, did you know if Nia had plans to poison your Heda.”

“I didn’t,” Ontari stated vehemently, “but maybe I should have. N-Nia is a coward.” The female alpha trembled. If the Azplana caught word of what she had just said, she would be tortured then killed. “She always has someone else do her dirty work, and it wouldn’t be the first time she resorted to poison to take out one of her enemies.”

“Do you know what poisons she has used in the past?”

“I don’t, but I do know that recently she was extremely interested when one of the local farmers lost all of his livestock within the span of ten days. She personally visited the farm and inspected the dead animals. She brought people with her that I hadn’t ever seen before. They didn’t look like Azgedans. They also inspected the area and the animals. It was the strangest thing because the last thing I saw them doing was scraping something off the trunk of a tree in the middle of the farmer’s grazing field. It looked like they were collecting the lichen from the base of the trunk.”

Clarke’s heart stopped. “What did they look like? The people that went with Nia.”

“They looked like people from skaikru.”

Clarke felt like she was going to faint. Could Nia have been working with other members from the Ark, or maybe other members of Farm Station? 

Clarke turned to Aden. He had grown since she had first met the boy, and he was now taller than she was. “Aden, I need you find Raven and I want the two of you to round up as many people from Skaikru as possible. Relay what you have just learned to them. Maybe with their tech they can figure out what Nia has done to the Commander. Tell all of Polis’ healers too.”

“Sha, Wanheda.” Aden seemed excited to be sent on official business and started to leave.

“Wait, Aden.” Clarke called out. “Don’t think that disobeying me earlier is going to go unpunished. When you have finished this task, you will go down to the kitchens and help wash dishes for the rest of the day. Is that understood?”

“Sha, Haiplana.” His face fell just slightly, but he still seemed excited to be helping his Queen. “Will you tell Heda that the natblidas expect her to return to her duties soon? We know she will get better.”

Clarke could tell that his last words weren’t exactly what he was trying to say. “Yes, Aden,” Clarke gave a weak smile. “I will tell her that you said to say you love her.”

“That’s not…that’s…”

He didn’t get to finish. Clarke pulled him into a hug. “It isn’t weakness to admit you love her, Aden.”

“Moba, Wanheda. I know. Please tell Commander Lexa that we love her and hope she gets better soon.”

“I will. Now get going.”

As soon as he was gone, Clarke turned back to Ontari who hadn’t dared to move. “Thank you for being honest with me, Ontari. I hope you understand that until the Commander is better, you will need to be confined to your room, but I promise you won’t be neglected in any way, and this does not mean you are a prisoner, however, you do need to know,” Clarke’s voice quavered now, “that if Lex..if Heda dies, there will be no sparing your life. I will kill you myself.”

The girl was freely crying. “I understand, ai Haiplana. I never wanted to fight the Commander, but the Queen…I mean the Azplana…she promised me so many things if I defeated her. Since I was a small girl, Nia has told me that I would be Commander one day. She literally beat the idea into me until I believed her. She made me tell her that I loved her, and that I was not allowed to love anyone but her. She swore to take care of me, but instead she betrayed me. She never cared about me at all, did she?”

Clarke didn’t go so far as to hug the girl, but she did pump out soothing pheromones in an attempt to calm her. “I want you to know,” she said, “that when the Commander recovers, because I have to believe that she will, you will have a family here, and you will be allowed to love whoever you choose. You will be taken care of and allowed to make friends. You will be allowed to become whoever you want.” Her words were reminiscent of ones Lexa had said to her long ago.

“Mochof (thank you), Wanheda.”

“Don’t thank me. When the Commander gets better, you can thank her. One day you will know my story, but right now, all you need to know is that Heda taught me just about everything I know, and I wouldn’t be the person I am without her. While you and I may have different backstories, I think we have a lot more in common than you realize, and I know that if you are willing to put in the work, Heda will do everything in her power to help you become exactly who you want to be, just like she helped me.”

Clarke had a guard escort Ontari to her room and instructed him to make sure that there were no less than two guards on the door at any time. She also instructed that the young alpha was to be treated fairly and not as a prisoner. 

As she walked back to her quarters with Echo, she grilled the alpha about everything she knew about Ontari. To Clarke’s disappointment, it wasn’t much. Nia kept the girl hidden away most of the time, and when she was seen, she was glued to Nia’s side. She stopped walking when she noticed a trio of people standing outside her door.

Gustus, Costia, and Anya were standing at the door when Echo and Clarke got back upstairs. They were all looking a little green.

“I would advise that you do not go in there right now, Clarke,” Gustus said.

“Why not?”

“It’s not a pretty sight. You will be happy to know your wife is awake,” Costia said, “but she is currently spewing up her guts. Nomon asked us to keep you out until Lexa is safely back in bed. She is taking care of her.”

“I will not stay out here while my wife is sick. She needs me.” Clarke felt an innate and almost frantic need to get to her alpha. She could feel Lexa’s discomfort. There was a burning in her throat, and her stomach felt as if it was full of razor blades.

“Clarke, please, just wait a few minutes. You don’t want to see Lexa like this.” Anya was pleading.

“LET. ME. PASS.” Clarke’s growl was low and threatening.

“Haiplana, it isn’t such a good idea for you to get so upset with the state you are in,” Gustus said.

“And what state is that, Gustus? The concerned wife? No, let me guess, the sensitive pregnant woman. Or maybe it’s the pissed off omega. GET OUT OF MY WAY!” Clarke lost control and blasted them with pheromones. It wasn’t enough to have them on their knees, but it was enough to have them stumbling out of her way. She shoved her way through the door and promised herself to apologize to them later.

The sight before her had her running to her wife. “Oh skrish. Lexa.” She spun her gaze to the healers. Both Jackson and Silene were helping the Commander back to bed. “What the hell happened while I was gone?”

Lexa was deathly pale, and her bloodshot eyes were glassy and unfocused. Clarke leaned over and placed a hand on her cheek, and it was clammy and cold. Clarke didn’t understand. When she left, her wife had been burning with fever. Now her body felt like that of a corpse. The alpha’s mouth, chin, and the front of her shirt were covered in black blood.

Myra put a careful hand on the blonde and pulled her back into a standing position. “She started throwing up soon after you left.” It was evident that her nomon was extremely worried. “At first it was normal, but the last three times have been nothing but blood.”

No wonder Clarke felt like she had razor blades in her stomach. She couldn’t imagine what Lexa was feeling.

“What can we do for her?”

Eric, who had stuck a syringe in Lexa’s arm to draw some blood said, “I am going to have her blood analyzed to see if we can find anything, and in the meantime, I will set up an IV drip. She’s going to need a lot of fluid, and if she keeps vomiting up blood, she’s going to need a transfusion.”

“Jus drein jus daun,” Lexa mumbled.

“Wh-what?” All eyes went to Lexa.

“Jus drein jus daun,” the sick alpha repeated.

Clarke whimpered. “Of course, Lex, blood will have blood. You are going to get better, and then you can rip the Ice Bitch in two.”

“No.” Lexa was shaking her head violently. “Jus drein jus daun.”

“I know, and blood will have blood as soon as you are better.”

“NO! JUS DREIN JUS DAUN!” The confused alpha was thrashing in the bed.

“Lex, calm down, please calm down.” Clarke’s eyes started to water because she didn’t know what to do. She pressed her forehead to Lexa’s and tried to sooth the alpha as best she could. Her pheromones were on overdrive. It seemed to work…if only for a minute.

“Jus drein jus daun. It’s you, niron. The past Commanders keep telling me it has to be you.”

“Lex, I don’t understand. I have to be the one to kill Nia?”

“NO!” Lexa yelled before lurching up in the bed. Silene barely had a bucket under the alpha’s head before thick black blood was filling it.

Clarke wiped her wife’s mouth with a rag. 

“Jus drein jus daun,” Lexa repeated one last time before falling asleep.

It was the next morning, and Clarke was pacing the floor. Between Jackson and Silene, they seemed to have gotten Lexa stable and she didn’t vomit again, but other than that, the Commander didn’t seem to be getting any better. 

A team of Sky people were working on the clues they had to see if they could figure out what kind of poison had been used, and a few of the older nightbloods were currently donating blood to give to Heda. Clarke had argued strenuously that it should be her blood that was given to Lexa, but both healers refused to take her blood since she was pregnant. Not even an epic temper tantrum had changed their minds.

When the first donation had finished, Eric prepared it to transfuse into Lexa. Siline watched curiously. She had never seen such a procedure before. As it was, the grounder healers had initially had a hard time accepting Ark medicine, but over time, they saw the good it could do. Nyko had started an initiative to train grounders alongside the former Skaikru so that they could learn from each other. Some very unique advancements had been made by combining grounder and Ark ways of healing.

Clarke stared as Aden’s blood (he had been the first to offer to donate) slid through clear tubing and into Lexa’s arm. The alpha had been sleeping fitfully. She would occasionally mutter something about blood must have blood and point at Clarke. They were no closer to having any idea what the Commander was talking about. Nothing else that Lexa had said was coherent.

Over the course of the next thirty minutes, everything seemed to be going fine, but then Clarke noticed that Lexa was shivering. She got up to grab the extra fur from their couch, but she noticed that Lexa was burning up again. 

“Eric, Silene. She is burning with fever.” The shivers grew into trembles.

Eric clamped the tubing and stopped the transfusion. “She’s rejecting the blood. I don’t know what we are going to do if we don’t get her blood count back up. The intravenous fluids can only help so much after the amount she has thrown up.”

Clarke had had enough. “Jus drein jus daun.” Clarke repeated the phrase to herself at least five times. “Jus drein jus daun. Maybe she means that the past Commanders are telling her that her blood must have mine.”

“I don’t know Clarke,” said Costia. She was sitting at the table with Echo and Anya. “I don’t know if it is a good idea. You are carrying twins, and that might not be what she means at all.”

Clarke understood where everyone was coming from, but she had to try. The blonde ran her hands through her already messy hair. “I don’t know why, but it seems to always come down to my blood. It started on the Ark. Dr. Griffin was always taking my blood and doing tests with it, and then when the Ark fell, the sample she took from me disappeared when Wells and the others did, so we can only assume the Maunon have it. And then, when we were with the Ona Graun, the Skaikru there hinted that my blood may be their salvation, so why can’t it be Lexa’s? Look at her,” Clarke commanded, and everyone did as she asked. Their Heda, the vivacious woman they were all used to, was lying in the bed with dark circles under her eyes and with black blood staining her lips and chin. She was pale, yet flushed, all at the same time, and she looked sicker than anyone Clarke had ever seen before. Quite frankly, she looked like she was dying.

“Don’t I owe it to my wife to try and save her?”

Myra pulled Clarke to her. “But is it worth the risk to you and your pups? She is my daughter and I want her to live, but you know that she wouldn’t allow you to do this if it harms you or her children.”

“Well, that isn’t her decision to make, and it isn’t any of yours. I am Wanheda. I am the Commander of Death, and I will not allow her death this day. Do you understand me?” The ferocity in Clarke’s eyes had no one daring to disobey.

“Eric, you will take the blood you need from me, and you will give it to my wife.” She walked over to a chair and sat. She thrust her arm at the man.

“Yes, Wanheda.” He grabbed what he needed as Clarke pulled up her sleeve. He punctured her vein. Black blood started to flow. “I know you are in a hurry to get this to Heda, but please let me do this slowly so it doesn’t adversely affect you or the pups.”

“I will allow it for now,” Clarke said, “and I will tell you if I start to feel ill, but you will not stop unless I tell you to.” She was done pussyfooting around. She wanted her wife back.

Jackson nodded and took Clarke’s blood slowly, but when it appeared that Lexa was getting short of breath, she demanded he speed it up. As soon as he was finished, he started to transfuse it into Heda.

It first appeared as if nothing was happening, but by the time almost half of Clarke’s blood had been received, the omega could see a subtle change in the alpha. Her breathing had improved, and her skin tone was returning to normal. The constant nagging ache in Clarke’s throat, and the burning sharp pain in her stomach started to ease, and the omega was certain that it meant that Lexa was feeling better too.

Lexa’s eyes popped open and Clarke couldn’t decide if the pure black eyes with bright green centers were sexy or frightening. She decided it might be a little of both, and as much as she wanted her Lexa back she kind of hoped that the Commander’s eyes didn’t return to normal until after she had a chance to confront Nia. 

“Lex, hey my love,” the omega cupped the alpha’s cheek. “Are you with me?” 

Unfocused black-green eyes wobbled before finally fixing on Clarke’s face. “Niron.” Lexa’s voice was raspy. The omega held a cup to her mouth and coaxed her to drink. The alpha coughed once. “What happened?”

Clarke started to purr, overwhelmed by happiness that her wife was coherent. The others approached and the purr turned into a growl. The omega wasn’t quite ready to have anyone else near her alpha just yet.

“Give them a few minutes,” she heard Myra say. It was a relief when they completely cleared the room. When the two were left alone, Clarke couldn’t help the tears that filled her eyes.

“You scared me, Lex. You can’t do that.”

She gave the alpha more water to drink when she saw Lexa trying to form words. “T-tell me what happened.”

Clarke started to tell her, but the alpha fell back to sleep before she could finish. The omega climbed onto the bed and held the Commander to her. Deep in her chest, she could feel that Lexa was going to be okay, and she was just starting to doze off next to her wife when Raven came crashing into the room.

“Clarke,” the beta yelled. “We figured out what the poison was. We are working on a cure right now.”

Anya came sprinting in after her mate in an obvious failed attempt to keep the beta out of the room.

“You’re a little late,” Clarke said groggily. “We already found the cure.”

“No way,” Raven said. “What was it?”

“Me, Raven. It was me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the ending is kind of abrupt, but I had to end this chapter somewhere. Please let me know your thoughts.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is having a fun and safe weekend. It's crazy out there right now. 
> 
> Happy reading.

Chapter 18

It had been two weeks since Lexa had been poisoned and Clarke was pissed. She had sent innumerable gona after Nia, but the Ice Queen had disappeared into thin air. She had been grouchy with everyone except for Lexa, who was still recovering. She had even snapped at Myra but was quick to apologize. Myra, being Myra, brushed it off as if Clarke hadn’t just bitten her head off. 

Nia’s quick disappearance made her think that she was the one who had something to do with the disappearances of the other clan members who had gone missing. She just didn’t know how the people were being taken. She also couldn’t let go of her fear that Nia was working with other survivors from the Ark. She had grilled, albeit gently, Ontari about what she had seen. She wanted every detail about the people she had seen with Nia. 

Clarke couldn’t shut off her thoughts as she watched Lexa training with Anya. After Lexa had received Clarke’s blood, she had gotten better, but her recovery had plateaued, and the alpha remained weak. Her eyes hadn’t changed back either. They remained solidly black with only the bright green iris visible in the middle. 

Lexa’s training sessions were limited and done in private. She could only spar, if it could even be called that, for fifteen minutes before needing a break. The Commander did not want others to see just how weak she still was. She did well during her meetings with the ambassadors for the simple fact that she was able to sit throughout the meetings. One great thing about the new look of her eyes was the intimidation factor that went with it. She looked more imposing than she ever had before. 

During her first meeting with the other clan members after the fight, it had been unanimously decided that as soon as Queen Nia was found, she would be sentenced to death from a thousand cuts. Roan kom Azgeda was the first to shout “no Azplana no mou.” Many had thought he had ulterior motives, wanting the throne for himself, but he appeared horrified by the fact that his mother had cheated during the fight and somehow poisoned the blade she gave to Ontari. He seemed genuine in his disgust at his mother’s actions.

It was during a training session that Raven decided to tease the Commander mercilessly about her eyes saying that she looked like a shifter, or werewolf, from the movies she used to watch up on the Ark. She even went so far as to show one of the movies to the alpha, and Lexa had been so disturbed that Clarke forbid Raven from seeing her wife for four days. 

Raven did say it was fitting that she looked like a wolf since the team of former Skaikru had figured out that the poison used against Lexa was from the Wolf lichen. Before Praimfaya the lichen had been used to kill wolves. It was mixed into meat with ground glass, so no one was really sure which it was that killed the wolves, the glass or the lichen, and no one knew if it was strong enough to kill a person back then, but the going theory was that the lichen had evolved or mutated and become much stronger in the years since Praimfaya. The tests they performed showed it was a very strong toxin that could kill a person shortly after the person becomes afflicted. It was a testament to Lexa’s strength that she survived, and it was no wonder that it was taking time for her to regain her former self.

Clarke had argued that Lexa should be given more of her blood, but everyone refused, including Lexa. The pint of blood the omega had already donated was enough, and it would not be safe to give more at this stage of her pregnancy. Clarke did finally relent and let Jackson take a sample of her blood to analyze. She had been reluctant, for it seemed everyone wanted to study it, and it gave her similar feelings from when she had been on the Ark. As much as Dr. Griffin professed to abhor the omega, the woman was certainly obsessed with studying her and her blood. 

Clarke figured that by letting Dr. Jackson study her blood, she would in turn be helping the Ona Graun. She asked Eric to get with the others to try and figure out if Skiakru was right; to see if there was something special about her blood that would allow them to come to the surface. Two birds, one stone she figured.

Clarke was standing in front of their polished metal mirror and rubbing her hand up and down her belly. She was starting to show. It seemed that it had happened overnight. When she went to bed the night before, she would have sworn that her stomach had been flat, but now, now there was a definite bump. She was so excited that she wanted to run to the bed and wake her sleeping alpha, but she couldn’t pull herself away from the mirror. The changes in her body were exciting and frightening at the same time. One thing she hated was that her ankles felt tight. She would have sworn that they were swollen, but looking at herself, she couldn’t be sure. She would have to ask Lexa.

“What are you doing, niron,” Lexa said, coming into the room and making the omega jump. Clarke smiled at the alpha’s serious case of bedhead.

“Do you notice anything different about me?” 

Even though Lexa’s eyes were still dark, Clarke could still see the desire in them. They roved over Clarke’s naked form then zeroed in on her abdomen. She gave the blonde a radiant smile. 

“You are finally starting to show, ai hodnes.” The alpha pulled the omega into her arms and started to purr. “You are so beautiful.”

“Are you sure? My ankles feel fat,” Clarke said, standing on one leg to show her houmon.

“Slender as ever,” Lexa said as she traced her fingers up and down the bare extremity.

Clarke shivered. “Stop that. We don’t have time. We both have appointments with Jackson and Silene today.”

Lexa groaned and let go of Clarke’s leg. “I am so sick of seeing the fisas. I am feeling better every day. I do not think I should be subjected to their constant scrutiny.”

“Don’t be such a grumpus, and I am sure you do feel better…after having slept for almost eleven hours,” Clarke teased. She would never admit it, but deep down, she was worried that Lexa was still sick. 

Lexa studied her wife. “Do not worry for me, niron. I am getting better, and if I start to feel that I am not, I promise I will tell you. Do you want to know one thing that does make me feel better?”

“What’s that?” Clarke smirked. She knew exactly what the alpha was going to say.

“Seeing you, like this, naked and carrying our pups.”

Ever since Lexa had started to recover, her appetite for Clarke had been insatiable. It was the one thing she had plenty of energy for. Not that Clarke was complaining. Making love with her wife every night was definitely not something to complain about. 

“Today’s fisa visit is going to be different, Lex.”

“Why?”

“Jackson has a device that will allow us to hear the heartbeats of the pups. He said we probably could have heard them several weeks ago, but with everything going on, he thought it best to wait. Are you ready to hear the life you have created?”

“I’m not the only one who helped create these two. I remember your part in it very well.” Lexa said, rubbing her hand over Clarke’s skin and sending goosebumps rippling up her spine.

They were late for the appointment.

“Clarke, look,” Lexa said in awe. The alpha kept looking from Clarke’s stomach to the monitor next to Jackson. Silene, who was also present was just as gobsmacked as the Commander. “This is really them? They are so small.”

Not only were they able to hear the heartbeat, but as a surprise, Eric showed them what the pups looked like on the ultrasound. He explained that they would have been able to see the pups weeks ago, but he had had some trouble figuring out how to make his machines work with solar power. With the supplies that had been scavenged after the fall of the Ark, there wasn’t enough raw material to get every piece of technology working. Throwing Raven under the bus, he explained that the beta had commandeered most of what he needed to build her fleet of rovers. It took time to find enough of what was needed to get everything else up and running.

Lexa gave him a sheepish grin. “Had I known that those materials could allow for something like this, I would never have allowed her to build so many vehicles. This,” she pointed at the screen, “is something I could never have imagined. You have given me, and the entire Coalition, a great gift this day. I assume that this testing helps determine the health of the babes?”

“It does, you have no idea the information something like this can give me.”

“What else can it tell you?”

The doctor’s smile broadened. “If you want to know, I can tell you if your pups are going to be boys, girls, or one of each. Would you like to know?”

“Yes,” everyone yelled excitedly, including Silene, which got a chuckle out of everyone.

Eric fiddled with his machine until he had a clear picture of both babies. “Look,” he pointed to the screen. “I am guessing that you can tell what that pup is going to be.”

Clarke smiled from where she was lying on the table as tears ran down her face. “A boy,” she whispered in awe.

He pointed at the other, which had a glaring difference. “And a girl,” Lexa said, the pride in her voice evident. She grabbed Jackson, lifted him up, and spun him around. “Thank you. Thank you. This is one of the best days of my life.” She beamed down at her wife as the surprised doctor regained his balance. “Look at them, Clarke, they are perfect.” She bent over and kissed the exposed flesh. “I can’t wait to meet you,” she said to her pups.

“You’re almost halfway through this, Haiplana.”

“Wow. It feels like it was just yesterday that we found out we were pregnant.”

“A lot has happened since then,” Lexa said.

“You mean too much has happened since then,” Clarke amended.

Jackson told Clarke she could sit up. He looked at Lexa and said, “You’re up next. I want to take another sample of blood. Your counts are still low. They should have normalized by now.”

“That is why I want you to give her more of mine,” Clarke piped in.

“We aren’t having this discussion again, Clarke. That is not going to happen.”

“The Skaikru team is still analyzing your blood Clarke. If they can find a way to synthesize it, then we will be able to give her some of that. They are also seeing what it does when your blood comes in contact with someone’s from the Ona Graun. They have several samples that they are working with.” 

“I don’t like all of this,” Clarke snapped. “It all makes it sound like my blood has magical properties or something.”

“I don’t know that I would call it magical, but I would say it has been adulterated,” Eric said, and Lexa growled at his choice of words. He looked uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, Heda, but it is true. The cells of her blood have been modified. Abby…I mean Doctor Griffin, was always tampering with the samples of Clarke’s blood. I don’t know what she did with it, but she was obsessed. I can’t say if she somehow altered your cells or if you were born this way, but your blood does have special properties. We are still trying to figure everything out, but the one thing we do know is that it can withstand more radiation than ours. I think that is why some have speculated that with your blood, the Ona Graun might be able to come to the surface.” Lexa growled again, and he hurried on with his explanation. “That will only happen if what they think is correct, and if we can figure out a way to synthesize your blood. Otherwise, it is a moot point. So, unless it is medically necessary, no one is taking anymore of your blood, Haiplana.”

This placated the alpha and Lexa replaced Clarke on the table. The alpha was still not comfortable with the high-tech exams Jackson performed. She preferred Silene’s version of a checkup.

“Heda, if you would, I need you to lift your shirt. It’s your turn for an ultrasound.”

Confusion colored the faces of the three women in the room. “Um, I am not pregnant, Doctor Jackson.” 

He laughed. “Sorry, Commander. This is going to be a different kind of ultrasound. I want to take a look at your organs, to make sure they are working properly.”

“This machine can do that too?” Silene asked.

“It can.” He made some adjustments to his machine then started the ultrasound. It took longer than Clarke’s had, and the omega couldn’t help the anxious pheromones that came pouring out of her.

After a few minutes, Eric allowed the alpha to sit up. He scrolled through the images on his screen. “Your liver is enlarged, Commander, and before you freak out,” he directed to Clarke, “that isn’t uncommon after being poisoned. The liver is responsible for clearing the toxins out of our body, and yours has been working on overtime, Heda.”

“Is that why she is still weak?” Clarke asked.

“It is part of it, for sure.” He looked at Lexa. “You need to exercise, but not overdo it, and you need to drink plenty of water, juice, or herbal teas. No alcohol for a while. And, eat healthy. Back off anything too fatty like cheese and fatty meats and eat your vegetables.”

“No cheese, really? And no wine? I think you are trying to kill me, Doctor,” she groused.

“Just for a couple of weeks, Heda, and then you can eat what you please…in moderation. That, however, is only if your next ultrasound comes back normal.”

“What about her eyes?” Clarke asked. “Will they go back to normal?”

“I have no answer for that. I have never seen anything like it, but it doesn’t seem to be causing any harm, and still no visual changes, right?” He looked at Lexa.

“No.”

“Then it is nothing to worry about, unless it starts scaring the children of Polis. Then I will figure out a way to fashion you a pair of sunglasses.”

“What are sunglasses?” the women asked, and the doctor laughed again.

“Seriously, Lexa. Eric just told you to lay off the cheese.” Clarke grabbed the cube out of Lexa’s hand and popped it into her own mouth.

They had arrived home and were eating alone for a change. “Don’t you dare go for that bottle of wine either, Lex.”

The alpha whined. “Can’t I start tomorrow? I want to celebrate the fact that we have two healthy pups on the way.”

“No, you cannot start tomorrow. Besides, I haven’t been allowed a drop of alcohol since we got pregnant, so you can handle a couple of weeks.” She smacked Lexa’s hand. “What did I say about the cheese?”

The alpha dropped the cheese. “You’re lucky I love you,” she teased. 

“And you are lucky that I love you. If I wasn’t here, you would let your liver explode.” Clarke stood and removed the bottle and plate of cheese from the table. She didn’t want anymore temptation for her alpha.

She walked back to the table and stood behind her wife. Placing her hands on her shoulders, she started to massage, and Lexa started to purr. “You know, now that we know what we are having, we need to start thinking of names.”

Clarke could feel the joy radiating off her houmon. “Are we going to tell everyone else, or are we going to keep it a secret?”

Lexa turned her head so she could kiss Clarke’s hand. “Can we keep it a secret, at least for a little while?”

“Absolutely,” Clarke said. “I think I know what I would like to name our baby girl, but I don’t have any ideas about what I would like to name our little boy.”

“We will think of something,” Lexa reassured.

Clarke sat back down at the table and pushed the plate of vegetables toward her wife. “Eat, and then we can start thinking of names.”

The Commander gave her an undignified eye roll. “Your wish is my command,” she said before stuffing a cooked carrot into her mouth. The grimace had Clarke laughing.

A knock came at the door and Lexa got up to see who it was. It was one of the guards. “Heda, I am sorry to interrupt, but a messenger just arrived. There has been an incident. TonDC was just attacked by reapers. Also, Raven sent for you, she said it was imperative that you see her right away.”

“Skrish,” Lexa yelled. A reaper attack was the last thing she needed. “Send Raven up here.”

The guard shifted uncomfortably. “I am sorry, Heda, she said you needed to come to her.”

“Alright, thank you, Bor. I will head there first. Make sure the messenger gets some food, then send him to the throne room. I will meet him there in an hour.”

Clarke was already changing. She ran to the door. “Have Echo kom Polis meet us in Raven’s lab,” she called after the guard. 

“Sha, Wanheda.”

When they arrived in Raven’s lab, the woman was furiously tapping the button on one of her radios. She looked up when the Commander and Wanheda entered the room but didn’t stop what she was doing. She held up one finger from her unoccupied hand telling them to wait a minute. 

When she was finished, she looked up. “Pike just contacted. I have to give it to him, he’s smart. He’s using Morse Code to communicate with us.” Lexa and Clarke didn’t know what that meant, so Raven explained what it was.

“It took me a few minutes to figure out what the hell was going on with the radio, but after hearing the same series of clicks three times, I started paying attention. The reaper attack on TonDC is a trap, Heda. The Mountain men are trying to lure you and Wanheda there.”

“Why?” Clarke asked.

“Because,” Raven paled, “because they want you, Clarke. The reaper attacks, the kidnappings. It has been about you this whole time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't thank all of you enough for reading, leaving kudos, and commenting. It makes all of this worth doing, especially now while the world is in chaos. It gives me great joy to get away from the real world for a while and delve into this one, and the others that people share. 
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy everyone.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With everything going on in the world, I feel like Praimfaya is next. Anyhow, here is the next chapter. It came out of nowhere, but since I don't plan out chapters, I guess every chapter comes out of nowhere. ;)
> 
> Be safe, everyone. Happy reading.

Chapter 19

Lexa was a mess. It had been a day since she had found out that everything that had been going on came down to Clarke and her blood. Since that time, she hadn’t had a break. As soon as she found out what Pike’s message contained, she called for a meeting with the ambassadors. It was time to move on TonDc. For hours, they had discussed, strategized, planned, and organized, and now she was tired; she felt ill, and she needed to sit down. To make matters worse, she and Clarke were fighting because the omega was insisting that if Lexa had to go to TonDC, then she did too. Lexa knew better than to argue with her houmon, but her fear for Clarke’s safety overrode her ardent desire to let Clarke make her own decisions. The omega didn’t take it lightly when the only person to side with her about going to TonDc was Octavia.

It had happened during the meeting to strategize the best way to approach the Mountain situation. Things had finally come to a head, and Lexa, as Commander, needed to retaliate against the Maunon lest she look weak and unable to keep the people of the Coalition safe. She had Raven working on communications with Pike and with the Ona Graun.

The people of the Underground had been working tirelessly in the tunnel system and thought they might have a way into the Mountain, but the path led through a cave that was heavily infested with ripas, and by report, these ripas weren’t the same as the ripas they were used to. If it was possible, they were more feral and even more deadly. Through her communication with Pike, Raven was able to learn that it had indeed been the Mountain who was kidnapping the alphas and omegas, and they were experimenting on them. He wasn’t sure what was being done, but he believed it coincided with the disappearance of several people that had escaped to Mount Weather from the Ark.

Pike had also been able to confirm that Wells Jaha was there among about twenty others, including Major Byrne. When it had been learned that some of the members of the Ark had disappeared, it had caused unrest within the Mountain, and Pike had two people helping him, a father-daughter team. Their names were Vincent and Maya Vie. 

Wells, on the other hand, was someone who had gotten in tight with the President of the Mountain, and his son. Dante and Cage Wallace were a fierce team of alphas who had no qualms expressing their hatred for the grounders. They were working with a woman named Lorelei Tsing on a way for them to leave the Mountain for good, and when they did, they wanted the grounders gone. The sample of Clarke’s blood that Wells had taken, along with her medical chart seemed to have given the doctor a treasure trove of information, and she started testing the blood sample immediately. That is when the mega-ripas started to appear and members of the Ark in Mount Weather started to disappear. 

Pike didn’t have too much else to work from, but he seemed sincere in his attempt to help, and the information he provided had left Lexa a quivering mess. Outwardly she remained the stoic Commander that she had to be, but inwardly she was absolutely freaking out, and Clarke hadn’t made things easy on her when she insisted that she would not be left behind in Polis. Much to Lexa’s chagrin, her wife had stormed out of the meeting (dragging an apologetic Octavia with her), and she hadn’t seen her wife since. 

It was only their second real fight, and to be fair, it wasn’t really a fight because Lexa hadn’t been able to speak with Clarke since she stormed out of the meeting. It had left Lexa deeply disturbed and unsettled, and to make matters worse, she had not been able to return to their quarters that evening. The meetings with the Ambassadors, generals, and advisors had run late and lasted long into the night. It was just after dawn when Lexa had finally stumbled back home, and her omega was already gone. 

Lexa slowly lowered herself into a chair and kicked off her boots. She still wasn’t feeling well, and she hadn’t admitted to anyone, not even Clarke, that she was feeling worse than she had a few days ago. She chalked it up to the stress she was under. 

She only had a few hours to rest before her next meeting and she wanted to sleep, but she needed to see Clarke first. She could feel her wife’s anger during the meeting, and it took everything in her not to dismiss everyone so that she could go after her houmon. If she had known that Clarke wouldn’t be home when she got there, she would have done exactly that. 

She stood back up and slowly stripped out of her clothing without bothering to put it away. She let it drop to the floor, too tired to pick it up. She picked up a cup of water and drained it, then contemplated ordering breakfast, but she was too tired. The fact that her wife wasn’t home hurt her heart in a way that she didn’t know was possible. She was certain that Clarke had left because she didn’t want to see her. She also knew it would be easy to send a guard or two to find the omega, but Clarke wouldn’t appreciate that. So, despite the growing physical need she was feeling to see her wife, Lexa dropped onto the bed, and with spirits lower than they had been in a very long time, she crawled under the covers and fell into a fitful slumber. Dreams of her omega being taken and tortured by the Mountain plagued her sleep.

What felt like minutes later, but could have been hours, Lexa woke to the sound of the door closing, and while she was happy to be pulled from her nightmare, she was still in desperate need of sleep.

She didn’t bother opening her eyes. She rolled onto her side, not wanting a confrontation with Clarke. She knew when she left for TonDC in two days that Clarke would be riding with her, and there was nothing she could do about it, and no words were going to dissuade her wife from going even if the target on her back was bigger than the whole of the Coalition.

“Lex,” Clarke whispered as she approached the alpha. “Are you awake?” 

Lexa didn’t respond, but she knew that Clarke didn’t miss the tear that slipped from her eye. She was unreasonably emotional, and she again attributed it to the stress of the past few days and to her lingering illness. Never had she been sick for so long, and it had worn her down to the point of feeling vulnerable in a way that she had never experienced before. 

She felt the bed dip beside her, and a warm hand was placed on her hip.

“I’m sorry.” After a long pause, Clarke said, “I was being unfair yesterday, and I shouldn’t have run off, and I know that it might have put you in a bad position with the other ambassadors…by not being able to control your omega.”

Lexa squeezed her eyes more tightly together then sighed. She rolled onto her back so she could look up at her wife. Clarke looked worn out. 

“Do you really think that, Clarke…after all this time?”

“I…I don’t know. I have never put you in a position like that before. I really am sorry.”

“The ambassadors love and respect you, ai hodnes. They are never going to fault you for wanting to go and defend your people.”

“But I disrespected you in front of all of them.” The omega stood and started pacing. “I said things I shouldn’t have…I was so mean.”

“Clarke, you were already forgiven before you were even out the door.”

“I don’t deserve your forgiveness.” Clarke got back on the bed and dipped her head so that it was resting on Lexa’s chest. “I know you just want what is best for me and the pups, and I know that it is a trap, but I can’t be left behind while you fight a battle that is happening because of me.”

Lexa ran her fingers through the blonde’s hair. “Niron, this battle has been in the makings for years; long before I even knew you existed. If anything, it is because of you that we will win this battle.”

“I had nothing to do with any of that. You give me credit where it is not deserved.”

“Clarke, it is because of you that the Ona Graun decided to expose themselves. Without them, we wouldn’t have a possible way into Mount Weather, and it is because of you that Pike was able to infiltrate the Mountain and give us vital information that may help defeat our greatest enemy. With careful planning, Maun-de may finally fall, and that is because of you.”

Clarke shook her head against Lexa’s chest. “It isn’t because of me. It is because of my stupid, jokking blood.”

“That’s not true. Don’t you remember the way the people of the Ona Graun bowed to you? They didn’t bow to me, and I am the Commander. They respect you and the power of Wanheda. They know that it is you who may allow them to stand in the sunlight after being in the darkness for so long.”

Clarke took a deep breath. “Thank you for saying that, but this wasn’t supposed to be about me. It was supposed to be about you.”

“It is not necessary, Clarke.”

“It is. I was out of control, and I acted irresponsibly.” She took Lexa’s hand and played with her fingers. “I could feel your hurt, you know, and that I was the one responsible for that is unforgivable. You have so much on your plate already, and I added to that. I also know that you still aren’t feeling well. I can feel that too.”

Lexa sighed. “I am fine, niron.”

“No, you aren’t, and I don’t know if it’s the lasting effects of the poison, stress, or something else, but I am not going to stand by and let you try and make me feel better when I know I am directly responsible for making you feel worse.”

Clarke held up her hand when Lexa went to speak. “I know that you haven’t been feeling well. You have been trying to hide it, but you need to remember that you can’t hide things like that from me. You should have told me.”

“I didn’t want to trouble you. I need you to focus on yourself and the pups.”

“That’s a load of skrish. It is only because of you that I can focus on myself and the pups. I will never ignore you or what you are feeling, and that is why I went to see Eric early this morning.”

The alpha narrowed her eyes. “What did you do, Clarke?”

“I maybe, kind of…sort of forced him, just a little bit, to take more of my blood so that he can give it to you.”

Lexa sat up, causing the omega to fall off her. “You shouldn’t have done that, Clarke. It isn’t safe for you to give more blood, not for you or the pups.”

“It was only a little bit. I had an idea that I wanted him to try, and it worked.”

Lexa was fighting to keep her patience.

“Because my blood worked on you when Aden’s didn’t, I wanted to know what would happen if mine was mixed with one of the natblida’s. He still had the blood that was donated, so he mixed it into the pint that Zso donated.” Clarke smiled. “You should have seen it. Eric got excited and showed me what was happening under the microscope. I didn’t understand what was going on, but it looked like the cells of my blood changed the cells of Zso’s until it all resembled mine. Eric spouted off a bunch of medical lingo, but what it boiled down to was that when they came in contact, her cells converted into my cells, and that means my small sample was able to be turned into a whole pint.”

Clarke was beaming at her. “So, as soon as you are ready, you can go down to his clinic, and he will transfuse the blood. He said he is almost certain that with the second unit of blood you will feel better.”

While Lexa was pleased that there might be a solution to get her feeling better and back to normal strength, she was not pleased that her wife had taken such a risk for her, but she kept it to herself. It was just a vial of blood after all, and not a whole pint. 

The alpha thought about what this would mean for the Ona Graun. Was it really as simple as each member donating a pint of blood so that it could be mixed with a small portion of Clarke’s then re-transfused back into them? Would it turn them into nightbloods? Would the effect be permanent? There were so many questions. Then Lexa had the horrific realization that it might be the same for the Maunon except that if they ever got a hold of Clarke, they wouldn’t distribute the blood in a careful, safe, and controlled fashion. They would suck her dry until there was no more blood to give. They would kill her in their attempt to set themselves free.

Clarke sensed the change in the alpha. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“The Mountain, they can never figure out what you and Jackson did today. If they did, and they got their hands on you…” Lexa couldn’t finish the statement. She pulled the omega close and didn’t let go until Clarke started to say she couldn’t breathe.

“It’s why I don’t want you to come to TonDC. If they capture you, they will kill you, and if you were to die, I know I would too. I would not survive the severing of our bond, Clarke.”

She took a deep breath. Clarke was pumping out soothing pheromones, and it was helping her calm down…a little.

“Lex, I have a plan for the trip to TonDC. Let’s go get that blood into you so that you can start feeling better, and I will tell you all about it.”

Lexa stood at the edge of the bed and held onto Clarke. She was hit with a wave of dizziness when she first stood.

“Okay, scratch the idea of running to Eric’s clinic right away. You need to eat first,” Clarke stated authoritatively, then more hesitantly she said, “I have something for you. It’s not anything big. It actually isn’t a big deal at all, but I…I wanted to do something to help you feel better.”

Lexa gave her wife a tired smile. She was ready to drop, but she tried not to let it show. She didn’t want Clarke to know just how tired she was. The omega quickly dragged her to the table that she had laden with food and made her sit. In the middle was a giant bunch of fragrant flowers in a vase. 

“I wanted to do something to apologize, so I went and got these for you.” Clarke’s face was dusted in pink.

Lexa leaned in to sniff at each of the different flowers. She was overwhelmed by the variety Clarke had found. In truth, she was overwhelmed by the gesture. No one had ever given her flowers before, and she was so touched by the gift that she started to cry. She hid her face further in the flowers and sniffed again. Each blossom had its own distinct smell, but combined they smelled almost as good as when her omega was in heat. 

“Do you like them?” Clarke asked shyly.

Black-green eyes looked up at the omega. “I love them, niron, and I love you…so much.” She pulled her wife in for another tight hug. “Thank you for my gift.”

The two sat and ate before heading off to see Dr. Jackson. Lexa was eager to hear Clarke’s idea for when they left for TonDC in two days, but the omega said she didn’t want to tell her until after she was feeling better. The Commander had a feeling she wasn’t going to like Clarke’s plan, not one bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now that we know even more about Clarke's blood, who wants to be the Mountain has figured it out too? Clarke has a plan to get herself to TonDC, but she's in for a big surprise if she thinks Lexa is going to leave her with less than 60 people to guard her. Echo better be ready for the challenge.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is everyone out there? I hope you are all okay and healthy. Times are getting scarier as lock downs and shelter-at-home orders go into place. For those stuck at home, get fresh air but stay away from others, get creative, and be safe. For those working, safety is priority. Wash your hands often, and try not to let the stress get to you. Fanfic is my outlet, as I am sure it is for many of you. Writing and reading have become essential, now more than ever. Be safe everyone.

Chapter 20

Lexa frowned at the mix of Clarke and Zho’s blood entering her arm. 

“Lex, what’s wrong? Is it hurting?” Clarke asked.

“No…I am just worried.”

Clarke misunderstood and said, “Don’t worry. You won’t have a reaction like you did when you were getting Aden’s blood. You’re already halfway done. It would have happened by now.”

“That isn’t what I am worried about.” She looked into the omega’s eyes. “Besides I was out of it when that happened. I don’t remember. I am worried about the reaper attack in TonDC, and I am worried about you. It doesn’t make it easier knowing it is a trap to get to you.”

“You don’t need to worry about me.” Clarke wanted to put the alpha at ease but knew that Lexa would continue to struggle with the omega’s insistence on going to TonDC.

“I will always worry about you, ai hodnes. You are my wife. You are my mate. I can’t not worry about you.” 

Jackson came in, interrupting the conversation. He inspected the IV site and the skin around it. “Everything looks good. How are you feeling?” He asked the Commander.

“Like I need a nap that I don’t have the luxury to take,” she groused. 

“As your doctor I would advise you to get more rest, and don’t think that Haiplana hasn’t told me about the cheese you have been sneaking.”

The alpha gave the doctor a murderous glare. The glare she gave her wife was only a little less so. The doctor held his hands up. “Sorry, Heda. I was teasing. It’s okay in moderation.” 

She gave him a weak smile. “I am sorry too, Eric. I am not used to feeling so…so weak and tired all the time. I didn’t mean to be…” she looked at Clarke for help. “What is the word Raven uses?”

“A grumpus,” Clarke helpfully provided.

“Yes, a grumpus,” she said seriously. “It has been a trying few days.”

The blood had finished, and he removed the needle from her arm, pressing cotton to the small puncture wound before covering it with a bandage. “Give it a few hours, and if you aren’t feeling better come back, but I think this is going to do the job and have you feeling better. Your wife has some pretty amazing blood flowing through her body.” He placed Lexa’s arm at her side when he was done with the dressing. 

I’m going to try and find out as much as I can from our time up on the Ark. I don’t have all of Doctor Griffin’s records, but I do have some of them.” He looked at Clarke. “I know what she did to you was horrific, but whatever it was she was seeking in her quest when she did her experiments, in the end, it made you strong.” He cleaned up and disposed of the tubing used to transfuse the blood. “Nix that. You have always been strong, but I think some of the things she did may have made you stronger. Your blood could be the solution to a host of problems people have.”

Clarke growled. “I will not be pin cushion, Doctor Jackson. I will not be experimented on again.”

The doctor lifted his hands once more. “You won’t need to be. I have more than enough with the sample I have. I have already mapped out your cells. I can do most of what I want on the computer now. It may take time, but I am sure, with your permission of course, that I will one day be able to replicate it. The healing possibilities it holds could be endless.”

Lexa didn’t like where this conversation was going. She thought back to the prophecy of two nightbloods, one alpha and one omega, bringing peace to the 12 clans. It was obvious that Lexa and Clarke were meant to bring in this age of peace. Was this how it was going to happen? Certainly, bringing the people of the Ona Graun to the surface and making them the 13th clan would lead to stability and peace, at least for them, but what about the rest of the clans?

Lexa was beginning to think it was a distinct possibility that Clarke’s blood would be able to help those stuck underground, but if Jackson was able to replicate it, she theorized that the Mountain would too, and what would the Maunon do with it? Would they pervert it? Could they weaponize it? Had they already done that with the new, more feral reapers that attacked TonDC? Could that even be done? She had so many questions, and she vowed that she was going to start paying more attention to the people of science that they had rescued from the Ark. She could no longer remain ignorant of their tech. She needed a better understanding so that she would not need to rely on others for explanations. What it really came down to was making sure her houmon was safe. She needed knowledge if she was going to make that happen.

She was thinking that she would have Raven and Eric ride with her on the trip to TonDC. She had many questions for them and planned to interrogate them exhaustively until she felt she had a good grasp on what they knew.

She was so deep in her thoughts that she hadn’t realized that the doctor had excused himself. Clarke was asking her a question.

“Can we walk through the market, then to the pond you showed me when I first arrived? It has been so long since we have been there. That is…if you have enough energy.”

The alpha took a quick inventory of how she was feeling and realized that she was indeed feeling better. “That is a fine idea. We have a couple of hours before the next meeting, so yes, let’s go.” She smiled at the omega.

It was a chilly day, and they had been forced to bundle up more than either of them had wanted. The sky was a flat gray, and people were muttering that it might snow.

Clarke watched her alpha carefully for signs that she wasn’t feeling well, but she had to admit that Lexa was looking more and more like herself as the minutes went by. Her wife’s cheeks were rosy instead of pale, the bags under her eyes were disappearing, and she had the pep back in her step. Her eyes were still black, but Clarke was almost convinced that she was starting to see a tiny rim of white around the iris. 

They stopped at a vendor who was selling roasted nuts. They also grabbed a bottle of fruit juice, then they made their way to the pond.

Always the gallant alpha, Lexa insisted she carry their wares, and made sure to wipe off the rock they were going to sit on of any debris. She sat first then pulled the omega to her. 

“It’s just as beautiful as the first time you brought me here,” Clarke remarked as she looked around. 

Lexa gave her wife time to enjoy their surroundings as they popped nuts into their mouths, then asked, “Are you going to fill me in on your plan?”

Clarke sighed. She knew her wife wasn’t going to like her idea. There wasn’t going to be any idea that Lexa liked unless it involved her staying home in Polis.

“Sooo…yesterday, when I got angry and left the meeting, I went to wander around that market, trying to calm down and I ran into Niylah. Do you remember her?”

Lexa frowned and held in the growl that wanted to escape. The Commander did remember the omega woman. The first time they had met her, the tradeswoman flirted shamelessly with her wife, and it wasn’t until Clarke got distracted by another vendor’s items that Heda was able to gently correct the omega’s behavior, meaning that she hit her with a short burst of dominant pheromones and a glare promising death before the omega apologized for her actions. 

“I remember her,” Lexa reluctantly admitted.

“Well, she knew I was upset and offered a sympathetic ear. I told her about TonDC.”

Lexa stood abruptly. “Clarke, you cannot do that. You can’t tell a stranger the affairs of the Kongeda (alliance, coalition). If word spreads about the ripa attack, it could undermine everything we are trying to achieve.”

“I hate to break it to you, but everyone already knows about the attack, and there are already whispers of unrest, and besides Niylah isn’t a stranger. We have become friends.”

This time Lexa did growl, hit with a jealousy she hadn’t felt before. “And how exactly does your friend fit into whatever scheme you have come up with?” Lexa turned to face the water, trying to reign in her feelings. She knew Niylah was no threat to her, but she couldn’t help feeling threatened by the flirtatious omega anyway. Perhaps she was still feeling vulnerable, as she had been since she was poisoned. It was not a feeling she enjoyed.

She felt Clarke wrap her arms around her from behind. A warm cheek pressed against her back. “You have nothing to fear from Niylah. She is just a friend. In your heart of hearts, you know this.”

“I do. I am sorry.” Lexa turned to face her wife. “Tell me your plan, so that I can get mad and then get over it.”

“You want her to what?” Lexa yelled. She was right. She did not like Clarke’s plan.

“I want her to ride next to you as me. We are similar enough that she could pass as me. At least for a little while.”

“The only similarity you two share is hair color,” Lexa gritted through clenched teeth.

“There’s more than that. She’s an omega. We have similar builds. She’s only slightly taller than me. Dress her like me, put her on my horse, and no one will know the difference.”

“I will know the difference,” Lexa griped. “I don’t want to spend all that time with her riding next to me. Besides, what if there is another reaper attack? It seems that they know who you are, or at least they know your scent. What do you propose for that? You cannot change the way you smell.”

Clarke was getting frustrated. “You’re right, I can’t, but you can. Scent mark Niylah, and have a different alpha scent mark me.”

Lexa growled but conceded that it could work, at least for a while. “But you will still look the same,” the alpha then argued.

“I can color my hair. Harper knows how.”

Lexa’s eyes brightened. “Harper is a blonde. Have her be your decoy.”

“Harper is newly pregnant. I won’t put her at risk.”

“But you are willing to put yourself and our pups at risk,” Lexa snarked.

“It’s not the same, and you know it. Harper cannot do the things that I can, and she is not a warrior. She doesn’t know how to fight. She can use a gun, but all of those are locked away, and with Nia MIA, we may never be able to retrieve them.” Clarke tried to calm herself. “Look, I will color and shorten my hair. I will ride near the back, and I will have Echo and the guards to protect me. I will be safe.”

Safety was never a guarantee, and they both knew it, but there was no convincing Clarke to stay, and Lexa didn’t have the fight in her to try and convince the stubborn omega otherwise. The plan had good bones, but it would need to be refined. 

“Fine. I will consider your plan, but not until we pass it by the others. We have two days to solidify things. I ask one thing.”

“What’s that?” Clarke wanted to know.

“Color your hair, but please do not cut it. It is finally long again, and I missed it.” She ran her finger through Clarke’s soft golden locks. 

“I miss your long hair too,” the omega said, sifting her own fingers through brunette’s shorter hair. “I am glad it is getting longer. Your short hair was sexy, but your long hair…and braids…that just does something to me.”

Lexa was sitting on her horse, miserable. She was thankful that they were almost to TonDC, because she didn’t know if she could stand being near Clarke’s ‘double’ for too much longer. If Niylah spoke to her one more time about her adoration of her and the Queen, she would vomit. While it was clear that the omega tradeswoman had much respect for her Heda, it was her adulation of the Haiplana that made her queasy. Lexa appreciated the omega’s loyalty, but she did not appreciate the near hero worship she had for Clarke. 

As a way of ignoring her, she spoke at length with Raven and Jackson, garnering as much knowledge as she could. She couldn’t help the frequent glances over her shoulder to the back of the group where her houmon rode. She smirked when she saw her mate scrub her hand across her nose for what must have been the twentieth time. Even though it was Clarke’s plan, the omega did not like the scent of the alpha they had chosen to scent mark her. As revenge for Clarke’s plan, Lexa had found the most pungent smelling gona she had, and sweetly told Clarke that stinkier was better. If the ripas attacked, they needed the ripest smelling alpha they could find to cover up Clarke’s own unique scent. 

It was also small payback for having to endure the omega sitting next to her that now smelled nearly identical to Clarke with only the slight scent of leather and ash, Niylah’s natural scent, filtering through.

Anya rode up next to the Commander. “We are almost there. I have sent a rider ahead to inform Indra.” The alpha looked at Jackson. “You will be needed as soon as we get there. They are still treating many of the wounded from the reaper attack.”

“Just point me in the right direction when we get there, and I will be happy to help,” the doctor said.

Raven came up behind her mate. Between her and Monty, they had rigged several small, almost imperceptible cameras that could be hidden on a person and transmit what they captured onto Raven’s tablet. It was imperative that if anyone was captured that Raven and Monty were not among them. They were essential to making sure the tech worked.

Harper, who ended up joining the caravan because she refused to leave Monty, was near the back with the now redheaded Clarke. If Lexa was honest with herself, the change in Clarke’s hair had turned her on in a way that she hadn’t expected, and she showed her appreciation for the change by making love to her wife for hours the night before they left. She wouldn’t want it to be a permanent change, but she would happily tolerate it for now.

When they got to TonDC, Lincoln was to guide several warriors to the tunnels that he knew about. The gentle giant had drawn a map of the tunnels and Clarke had helped copy them to distribute to the gona. Several others were going to meet up with members from the Ona Graun to see if the Mountain could be infiltrated from their end, and the armies of the coalition were on alert, but being held back for the moment, until they knew that there would be a war to fight. Lexa looked to the skies and hoped the snow would hold off. 

It was nearly nighttime when they finally reached the outskirts of TonDC, and the village was virtually surrounded by gona, guarding against another ripa attack. Indra and Nyko greeted them at the gates and ushered them to the meeting hall where Indra briefed them about what had happened, also describing the new, more feral ripas. She reported that they recognized two of the ripas, a female alpha and a male omega. They were two of the people that had gone missing recently. Lexa’s stomach knotted in fear. Did Clarke’s blood have something to do with the new ripas? 

Indra’s briefing lasted forty-five minutes, and through all this, Niylah remained silent. All present were privy to the fact that Niylah was playing as Clarke’s decoy. Clarke was elsewhere, keeping her cover. It made Lexa nervous to have her out of her site. Before everyone departed, she had Lincoln and Octavia lead the gona to the reaper tunnels. The two mates would be able to return to TonDc that night. The meet up with the members from the underground would have to wait until the morning.

When they finished for the night, Niylah followed the Commander to the house kept ready for her. She looked around as she was ushered in and quickly divested herself of the Haiplana’s coat. Clarke was already waiting for them in the kitchen area, having snuck into the house earlier. Lexa showed Niylah to the bathroom, and the omega changed back into her normal clothing and washed off the distinctive pattern of Wanheda’s warpaint. In the morning she would return, re-don Wanheda’s clothes and paint and pretend to be who she wasn’t. Clarke would continue to lie low. They weren’t sure, but Raven said it was possible that the Mountain Men were watching them somehow, so it was up to Niylah to continue to play the role of the Queen. To Lexa, she seemed to enjoy her role a little too much, although she could not deny that the omega had done a superlative job so far.

“Thank you, Niylah.” Clarke embraced the other omega, and Lexa had to swallow her growl. “What you are doing for me, for us, cannot be repaid, but we will try.”

“No payment is necessary. It has been fun shedding my skin for a few days and getting to play someone else. It has given me new insight to just how hard it is to lead the Coalition.” The omega looked at Lexa. “Thank you for all that you do for us. Yours,” she said then looked back at Clarke, “and yours are not jobs I want. After this is over, I will gladly hand the job back over.”

This made Lexa smile, although she tried not to. It could be that the omega was growing on her, but she would never tell that to her wife. 

“Reshop, Heda…Haiplana.” Niylah bid them good night. 

Lexa moved to her wife and hugged her tightly. She was relieved that Clarke had already washed. All traces of the alpha’s scent on her wife had been washed away. 

“Get yourself out of those clothes,” Clarke demanded. “I have been needing you all day.”

That was not an order Lexa was going to disobey.

It was late in the night. Lexa had her naked front pressed to the expanse of skin covering Clarke’s back. She had her nose nestled into the omega’s hair. Clarke was softly snoring and didn’t wake as Lexa ran her hand over the bump that was beginning to grow on the blonde’s front. She was wondering if the pups would have her eyes or Clarke’s when suddenly there were horns blaring.

The door to the house slammed open and Octavia ran in with Lincoln and Echo a step behind. “Heda, Wanheda. You need to take cover.” Octavia yelled. She banged on the door of the bedroom. “A horde of reapers are heading this way.”

Lexa and a now alert Clarke scrambled to put on their clothes and armor. Lexa was about to tell Clarke that she needed to remain inside when Octavia stopped them. “You both need to hide.”

Lexa agreed that Clarke should, but not her. “Ai laik Heda. I will not hide while others fight.”

Octavia was short of breath. “You don’t understand. The reapers, they aren’t alone. There are men in white suits, and two others that aren’t, and they are carrying rifles and gas grenades. They have pictures of the two of you. You are the targets.”

“You must allow me to escort the two of you to safety, Heda,” Echo prompted. “Indra told me that there is a bunker nearby. Costia and your nomon are already headed there with the elders and the children.”

Lexa repeated that she would not hide from the Maunon.

“Lex, come with me. This is not the fight you are supposed to fight.” Clarke said. “If you fall, the entire Coalition falls. Leave this fight so that you can live to fight tomorrow.”

“Jok,” Lexa growled. They opened the front door to the house and a shot rang out, just missing Lexa’s head. She ducked back inside. “Go out the back.”

They scrambled out the only other door. This time their path was clear. Echo led the way but stopped to fight off a reaper that came out of nowhere. Lexa brandished her sword and ran to aid the Queen’s guard. Precious minutes were being wasted. This reaper was nearly unstoppable. 

“Duck,” Octavia yelled. Echo and Lexa did just in time for Octavia to lop off the reaper’s head.

They turned a corner to find a massive battle going on. A quick scan told Lexa there must have been at least fifty ripas. Many gona already lay dead on the ground. She spotted the men in white walking into the house they had just vacated. 

“We need to go,” she whisper-yelled.

Echo led them to the bunker. Clarke was led in first, then the others. Lexa insisted Echo go down before she did. As she was lowering the hatch, she saw Raven, Anya, Niylah and others fall to a gas grenade. Indra could be seen leading a few others into the nearby forest. She didn’t have time to take another look. A bullet ricocheted of the metal hatch causing the Commander to drop it into place. She locked the door and lowered herself into darkness where everyone was waiting below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I would love to hear your thoughts. Poor Niylah. She volunteered to be the decoy and got caught. Let's hope Raven, Anya and the others come out of this okay. 
> 
> Also, thank you for the continued support of this story. You comments and kudos help fuel this, especially now.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

“What do we do now?” Octavia asked. The others were rummaging through the bunker and lighting candles. Lexa’s face was stricken with rage. 

“We wait,” Heda snapped. “There is no way into this bunker from the outside once it is locked. We can only hope that Indra and the others who fled into the woods are safe. They will let us know when the coast is clear.”

The Commander wasn’t the only one in a rage. Wanheda was furiously pacing and cursing under her breath. She wasn’t allowing the undercurrent of fear she was feeling to crawl to the surface. She hadn’t seen her fos (first) and best friend fall, but Lexa had, and now the omega was worried for their lives. She wondered what happened to the others, to Monty and Harper. She would never forgive herself if something happened to Harper or her pup.

They sat solemnly for hours. Lexa eventually stood to pace again until Lincoln handed everyone strips of deer jerky he had pilfered from the stores kept in the bunker for just this type of occasion. Clarke initially declined hers, but after a short growl from Lexa, the pregnant omega ate it. 

The alpha understood her wife’s hesitance to eat, but she and the pups needed the sustenance. She didn’t know how long they would be stuck in the bunker. For all she knew, the Maunon and their ripas were still ransacking TonDC.

Once she was satisfied that Clarke had eaten her share of the food, Lexa knelt in front of her wife. She could feel the anger, fear, and worry rolling off her houmon in waves. 

“We will find our people, niron.”

Lexa fell backward onto her rear when Clarke abruptly stood. “Damn right we will. This is going to end, and I will personally destroy them if they have hurt any of our friends.” Angry pheromones were oozing from Clarke’s body, and it was making everyone except Lexa uncomfortable.

“Haiplana,” Echo said hesitantly. “You must calm yourself.”

Clarke snarled at Echo who then pointed to Lincoln and Octavia who were doing their best not to submit.

“I’m…I’m sorry.” The air felt lighter instantly.

“It is understandable,” Lincoln said. “Maybe we should get some rest. There is no sense in staying awake only to be exhausted when we get out.”

“How do you know we will get out?” Octavia asked.

“I have faith in Indra. She would die before she let herself get captured by the Mountain. The direction she and the others were headed led to another bunker. I have to believe that she made it,” the lone male in the group said.

“He’s right,” Lexa said. “Let’s try to get some rest. We don’t know how long we will be down here.”

There was a private, partitioned area that held a small bed. Lexa ushered Clarke over to it then climbed in behind her once the omega was settled.

“I don’t think I will be able to sleep,” the blonde said.

“I won’t either, ai hodnes, but we should try.” Lexa reached forward to rub soothing circles over Clarke’s slightly bigger baby bump. Calming, Clarke started to purr until Lexa ripped her hand from Clarke’s body, only to press it back again.

“One of them moved,” Lexa whispered in disbelief. She was practically vibrating in excitement. Clarke, for her part, was speechless. It had been the most interesting feeling she had ever felt, and she would have doubted it if Lexa hadn’t felt it too.

Lexa whooped when she felt another kick. The three other occupants came running to the little room, alarmed at Heda’s outburst. 

Lexa grinned up at them. “The pups, they moved.”

The relief of the three was evident as smiles crept onto their faces. 

“Even in times of darkness, there will always be light,” Lincoln said, and Octavia looked at him with awe in her grey-green eyes. She stroked her hand over his cheek.

“My wise, poetic husband.” Octavia smiled brightly up at him. She stood on her tiptoes to give him a chaste kiss, then turned to her leaders. “Can I feel it?”

Lexa couldn’t help it when she growled.

Lincoln pulled Octavia back. “It is probably best that you wait, my love. It is a new experience for them that they should share together. Besides, alphas get even more protective when they can actually feel the life they have created within their mates. Give it a day or two.”

Octavia feigned disappointment then smiled again. “I am very happy for the two of you.”

Echo, who had been silent had almost the same protective stance as Lexa. “I will keep watch,” she stated.

Clarke sat up fully. “There is no need, Echo, no one is getting in. Rest so that we are all able to do what we need to when the time comes. I need you at your best, alpha.”

Echo dipped her head and retreated with Lincoln and Octavia from the room. Clarke returned to her previous position and grabbed Lexa’s hand, placing it on her belly. 

“I want our pups to grow up in a world where the Maunon are part of the past.” 

“They will be. When we are finished, the Mountain will be no more. Now rest, niron. The next few days are going to be nothing if not trying.”

The two fell into a light sleep.

The five people in the bunker had no idea how long they had been down there when they heard a series of taps from above. It was the signal that the coast was clear.

Lincoln climbed the ladder and carefully opened the hatch while Lexa and Echo flanked Clarke, ready to protect her should the enemy be on the other side of the opening.

Echo was the first to step outside, after Lincoln, making sure the coast was clear before allowing her Queen to ascend the ladder.

It was nighttime. “How many days have passed?” Lexa asked when she reached the surface. 

“Only one, Heda.” It was what Lexa had figured, but time passed differently when one was stuck in a bunker.

“Good, I want a full report.”

Sixty-one gona and citizens had been killed in the attack. Death came either at the hands of the ripas, or the men with rifles. Seventeen had been taken, many former residents of the Ark. The loss had been devastating, and Indra was extra surly. Her mood, however, did not match that of her leaders which was downright lethal.

They were just walking out of their ransacked house (the Maunon had destroyed many of the contents having appeared to only leave with clothing and a brush that belonged to Clarke) when a badly limping and bleeding Raven came skidding into view.

Clarke was off like a shot, running to the injured beta and catching her before she could fall.

Raven was gasping, tears and blood streaming down her face. “Anya…she saved me. She saved me and they hurt her. They hurt her badly.” Raven was weeping uncontrollably for her mate.

Clarke and Echo shared a look then carried the injured and distraught beta to the fisa tent. Jackson and Nyko were there tending to other patients, and Nyko ran to them when they saw the maimed woman in their arms. He helped lead her to a cot and gently pressed a cloth to a deep gauge in her head to staunch the bleeding. 

“I heard the Maunon took her. How did she get away? No one has ever been able to escape before.”

“The General,” Clarke said as she moved a bloody clump of hair from the wild-eyed beta. She could see that Raven was going into shock. “She said Anya saved her, but we don’t know how.”

“We need to get her stable, before she will be able to tell us what happened. With her head injury, it may be a while before we can get anything more coherent out of her.”

Nyko cleaned the wound on Raven’s head before bandaging it, then moved onto her injured left leg. There was a bullet lodged in the back of her thigh, and it looked like another hit the inside of her knee. She must have been running away when bullets hit her. She was lucky to be able to remain on her feet. The pain must have been extraordinary.

Nyko let out an uncharacteristic growl. “This is the second time this poor girl has been shot. Jokking Maunon and their jokking fayagons.” He sent his assistant across the tent to get his tools while giving Raven something to drink. She swallowed the nasty tasting medicine.

“This is going to put you to sleep strik sora (little bird) so that I can remove the bullet that is stuck in your leg.” he said gently.

Deep brown eyes shot open. “I don’t need to sleep. I need Anya,” Raven wailed and tried to sit up.

Octavia and Clarke both started to emit soothing pheromones while they held their friend in the bed. “Sh,” Octavia said, smoothing her hand over Raven’s head. “We will get her back.”

“I need my mate…I need her. They are going to kill her.” Raven’s words were slurred. The medicine was starting to work. “I want Anya back.” Tears continued to roll down her as she started to fall asleep.

“We will get her back,” Clarke promised with authority. “We will kill every last one of them if we have to.”

Watery brown eyes opened back up and gazed up at Clarke. “I need my alpha, Clarke.” Her eyes then shut and didn’t reopen. Nyko went to work on repairing her leg. After a few minutes, Jackson was at his side helping.

Octavia and Clarke didn’t leave her side even as the doctors worked, and when the men finished, they both squished themselves on either side of the beta, doing everything they could to ease the mental and physical pain their friend was experiencing. Even in her sleep, Raven was trembling and aching for her mate. 

Lexa, utterly helpless to aid the beta left to help the residents of TonDC and plan their next move. Several messengers were sent to gather the army of the 12 clans, and another was sent to where the Ona Graun were congregating inside the tunnels near Mount Weather. It was time to get into the Mountain, even if it meant they had to fight their way in. Lincoln volunteered to head into the reaper tunnels where the others were waiting. 

All parties were to be given radios so that they could communicate with one another, and Monty was tasked with trying to contact Pike, but he had been unsuccessful so far. He was going through Raven’s bags looking for her tablet and found a surprising number of gas grenades and bombs. 

“What the hell,” he muttered as he carefully placed each one on a wadded-up blanket so that he wouldn’t accidently discharge any of them. “How did she carry these in her bag without blowing herself up?” He wondered out loud.

He continued to search her bag and found four large containers of bullets and three handguns. He laughed and sent someone to get him the Commander.

Lexa looked at the guns in surprise. “How did she keep these hidden from us? I was assured that every fayagon was accounted for when we locked them all in the vault.” She looked at Monty who had no answers for her.

She wasn’t displeased that the beta had gone against orders and kept a few of the guns. Three guns against the weapons the Mountain possessed wasn’t many, and she wasn’t sure it would be enough to give them any sort of advantage when it came to the fight, but she was happy to have them. She leveled her gaze on the bombs and grenades. Those at least were numerous, and, like Monty, she wondered how Raven carried this weaponry all the way from Polis without anyone knowing about it. She wondered if Anya even knew.

She walked back to the healer’s tent. Her mate, Octavia, and Raven were all asleep on the tiny cot. She motioned to one of the apprentices to have another cot lined up with the current one so that they could have more room to lie together. She grabbed a large fur and added it to the one that was just barely covering them.

She allowed her eyes to roam over the three women before fixing them on her wife. To this day, it amazed her how well these women, and the others from the sky, had acclimated to life on the ground. All three of them had such different experiences on the Ark, but not one of them let it hold them back. They were a formidable team, and Lexa felt lucky to have them at her side. She walked over and planted a kiss on Clarke’s temple without waking her, then walked back out of the tent after informing the healers that she wanted to be alerted the minute her wife was awake again.

Monty almost ran her down. “Heda,” he said breathlessly. He was waiving Raven’s tablet in her hand. “I don’t know how, but two of Raven’s cameras are working.”

He handed her the tablet, and Lexa almost dropped it when she looked at the horrific view on the screen. She tried to make sense of what she was looking at. It appeared that she was looking through metal grating at what looked to be rows of cages stacked on top of one another. She had to squint to try and see what was in the cages. She roared. “Those are our people in those cages.”

She tipped the tablet in all directions trying to make sense of what she was seeing. 

“How are we getting this view?” She asked Monty. 

“I’m not sure. The camera must be hidden on someone. Let me show you the other camera’s view.”

He took the tablet and tapped his fingers on it. “Here.” He handed it back.

It was a similar view, but whoever was wearing the camera had a better view, what Lexa saw had her roaring again. It stopped everyone in their tracks, and a bleary-eyed Clarke came running from the fisa’s tent. Her general, her fos, her friend was crammed into one of those cages and it was clear that she was suffering.

“What’s the matter? Lex, what’s wrong?”

Lexa passed Clarke the tablet with trembling hands and it was the omega’s turn to roar. It was unlike anything anyone had ever heard and eclipsed the sound that Lexa had made only moments earlier. The people of TonDC stood frozen, as did the Commander. The murderous look in Clarke’s eyes had even her taking a step back. She had never seen her omega like this and wondered if the spirit of Wanheda had taken full possession of her wife.

“They put Anya in a cage,” Clarke roared again. “They have our people in cages.” She shoved the tablet back into Lexa’s hands and started to stalk up and down the path. Lexa could only watch, bewildered, as the woman before her, her wife, transformed into someone else. Her wife was seething. Saliva was collecting at the corners of her mouth, and her eyes were wild.

She turned back to Lexa. Her chest was heaving. “I am going to kill those people and any from Skaikru that have helped them do this.” She lifted her head and let out an unearthly roar, sending birds flying from the trees. If the alpha didn’t know better, she would think that Clarke was calling up the spirits from the depths of the underworld.

Clarke stalked back to their home, disappearing into the door. Lexa ran after her. “Clarke,” she yelled, “what are you doing?”

“Preparing.” The omega was opening the chest that contained her weapons. She was thankful the Maunon hadn’t taken them. 

A steady low rumble emanated from her chest as she strapped on her armor and sheathed her swords. She donned weapon after weapon. She would carry one for each Mountain man if she were able.

“Clarke.” Lexa stopped her from hiding another dagger on her body only for Clarke to rip her arm away.

“They have Anya, Lex. She’s hurt. What if they kill her?” She jabbed the dagger into a thigh holster. “What if they kill all of them?”

“Chil yu daun (stand down), Wanheda.”

“Is that a command?”

Lexa approached her bristling wife. She was almost afraid to touch the agitated omega. “Clarke, please. I know they have Anya, and I don’t want to lose her any more than you do, but if you go charging in now, you will be lost as well, and I cannot allow that. I will not allow that. You need to wait until we are ready to advance, until we are ready to win.”

Clarke shook her head. “If we wait Anya could die…and so could the others. We need to go now.”

“You need to trust Anya. She is strong, and she will do whatever it takes to ensure her survival, and she will help as many as she can along the way.”

“How?” Clarke was seething again, nostrils flaring. “How will she do that if she is trapped in a fucking cage?”

“She will find a way. She always does,” Lexa said calmly, hoping if she remained at ease that Clarke would come down from the anger she was riding high on.

The omega roughly scrubbed her hands up and down her face before tangling them in her hair. Lexa could see her struggling to regain control of herself.

“Anya isn’t just a general, a fos, or even just a friend, Clarke. She is family, and we both love her. I am going to do everything in my power to get her back. I will get all of our people back.”

Clarke grabbed the tablet that Lexa had tossed on the table when she ran after Clarke. She pulled up the camera angles. She breathed in three times before speaking.

“Look, the images almost mirror each other. Anya must be wearing one of the cameras, maybe on her breast band.” She studied the other image intensely. She narrowed her eyes. “I think the other person we can see is Niylah, but,” a tear leaked from her eye, “but she is so badly beaten it is hard to tell.”

She looked up at Lexa. “That is because of me.” She screamed and slammed her fist on the table. “I convinced her to be my decoy and look what happened to her.”

“Niron, this isn’t your fault. The only ones at fault are the Maunon.”

“If she hadn’t been my decoy, she wouldn’t even have been in TonDC. She would have been safe in Polis.”

“And that was her decision to make. You did not coerce her, and this is not your fault.”

Clarke flung herself into a chair. “Well, it feels like it is. It feels like everything that is happening is because of me and my fucking black blood.” She looked at the camera images. They weren’t moving so she figured Anya and Niylah must have been asleep. At least she hoped they were asleep. She stood back up to pace. “If it is me that they want, then it me they are going to get. I am the Commander of Death. If it is me that they want, then it is death that they are going to get. Death for Raven. Death for Anya. Death for Niylah, and death for every other person they have ever taken. I will be the death of all of them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if nothing else, the Mountain succeeded in pissing Clarke off. That is probably something they shouldn't have done. Also, don't worry. Raven is going to be fine. She will walk again without the brace. They need to build her some armor so that she stops getting shot. You probably don't need to worry about Anya or Niylah either. I have huge soft spots for them.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next update. 
> 
> Happy reading.

Chapter 22

Echo stood in the doorway, excitedly terrified of the omega Queen before her. What she was witnessing was the awakening of Wanheda. Beside the Queen stood the alpha who helped the omega grow until she was able to elevate herself into who she was supposed to be. She was sure she was witnessing something that would go down in history as the turning point in time when the Maunon, who had terrified their people for generations, would be turned to dust by the omega outcast who was thrown to the ground from the sky.

It was a sight to behold. 

Lexa looked up and noticed the other alpha standing in the doorway. Echo had a look of reverence in her eyes as she watched Clarke storm around the room. She knew what the alpha was thinking, she was thinking it too, but she needed Echo to leave so that she could calm her wife down. At the rate Clarke was going, she was going to blow her top or do something foolish that would get not only her, but others, hurt in the process. She also needed to calm her wife for the sake of their pups. She feared the anger and stress Clarke was now feeling would somehow hurt her unborn children.

She watched as Clarke sheathed yet another dagger then turned to the alpha. “What is it, Echo?” she snapped.

“I am to tell you that Raven is awake. She’s groggy but insisting that we give her the tablet so she can see what the cameras are doing. She’s threatening to blow everyone up if we don’t show her what’s happening.”

Lexa growled lowly. This was not a complication she needed right now. She didn’t doubt Raven’s threats. If her mate was stuck in the mountain, she would also be doing everything she could to find out what is happening too. The one saving grace was that the beta was incapable of getting to her bombs, and she would have crutches that were being made for Raven hidden if it came to that.

“Have Monty take her the tablet, but if anything is different from what we saw earlier, I want to see it first. I don’t want Raven under more stress than she already is if the situation has changed.”

“Sha, Heda.”

After Echo was gone, Lexa went over to her wife and physically stopped her from grabbing another weapon.

She was furiously pumping out soothing pheromones, and very calmly she said, “Niron, please try to calm down.”

“Calm down? You want me to calm down? They have our people in cages and you want me to calm down.” She inadvertently hit Lexa with a blast of her own pheromones, causing the alpha to take a step back. 

“Clarke, please. The generals are already amassed, the armies are heading here as we speak, and we have two groups of people in the tunnels. We will be ready, but in the meantime, we cannot go charging the Mountain without a solid plan.”

“I have a plan,” Clarke yelled. “They wanted the Commander of Death, well they got her. I will go in there and kill them all.”

“How will you get in? What if you get shot? What if you get shot and it hits one of the pups? Could you forgive yourself if you survived, but our pups did not?”

Clarke’s hands flew to her growing bump. “Is it worth the lives of our pups if you go in half-cocked then get hurt? As it is, you could be hurting them right now. You need to calm down.”

Realization crossed Clarke’s face, and all the fight left her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, and Lexa wasn’t sure if she was apologizing to her, the pups, or both. “I am just so scared for them.”

“I know, niron, but we cannot go running into a battle that we are not ready for.”

“You’re right. I know that, but what if they kill them?”

“Our people are strong, and there is no better general than Anya. Trust her to find a way. She will do everything in her power to keep herself and them alive until we can take down the Mountain and rescue them.”

“I’m sorry.” For the first time in a long time, Clarke was embarrassed in front of Lexa. 

“Do not ever apologize for wanting our people to be safe, niron.” Lexa walked over and kissed the top of Clarke’s head. “We’ll chalk up your behavior to raging pregnancy hormones,” She teased.

“Don’t do that,” Clarke said, even as she moved into Lexa’s touch. “Don’t try to make me feel better when I have been an ass.”

“You weren’t being an ass. You were being Wanheda, and our people need that, but you need to focus that anger and energy into something that will allow us to win. Once we are in the Mountain, you can unleash everything you’ve got and bring them to their knees. Once that happens, I will enjoy watching you destroy them.”

Clarke felt sympathy as Raven fumed, and raged, and cried from her cot as she looked at the images of Anya stuck in a cage. She couldn’t blame the beta. She had been doing almost the exact same thing only moments ago. The only thing that seemed to calm her friend was the fact that Monty was receiving a message in Morse code on the radio. He was taking it down so it could be translated.

So far it seemed that the people who some of the Arkers befriended in the Mountain, the rebel group, were hatching a plan to take out the generators that would allow Raven’s bombs to blow through the main blast door. When Monty translated the next part of the message, the tent erupted in stunned gasps, growls, and disbelief. The message said that the prisoners who weren’t being turned into reapers were being taken and drained of their blood as some kind of sick treatment to help the Maunon survive exposure to radiation. Raven, at that point, had to be sedated, and Lexa had calmly walked out of the tent then. Clarke had no doubt that it was her turn to have a meltdown. The Commander just chose to do it in private.

When she didn’t come back, Clarke excused herself and left to find her. She found her in the command tent looking over her maps. Her eyes had a slight bit more white back in them and were even more intimidating than when they were solid black and green. In all honesty, they were freaky. They made many of the gona uncomfortable, and it lent her an air of even more authority to Heda. No one dared to disobey while she looked as she did.

“The armies will be here tonight, and we will leave in the morning,” Lexa said without looking up from her.

“There’s a new problem, Lex.”

She finally looked at Clarke, and the omega didn’t want to tell her what else they had learned. She took a deep breath and said, “They have something called acid fog. If the armies get too close, they will be liquified.”

“Jok. How do we defeat that? Every time we think we are close to being able to defeat them, they throw something new at us.”

“I was thinking about that while I walked here,” Clarke said, going to stand next to her wife. “The message said that some of the people are working on a way to dismantle the fog, but they need time, just like with the generators. Let’s use the armies to get their leaders looking out at us. We keep them distracted until those on the inside can help.”

“Keep them looking out so that they do not look in. That’s brilliant. Do you think we can trust Pike? How do we know he isn’t setting us up for failure?” 

“The message didn’t come from Pike. It came from Major Byrne. Pike has been captured.”

“Jok,” Lexa yelled again, flinging the paper maps off the table and scattering them everywhere. 

“Wait, Lex. Let me finish.” Lexa was gripping the edge of the table looking like she was about to flip it over.

“Ai alpha. Listen to me.” Clarke placed her hands on top of the Commander’s.

“He got captured on purpose. Based on the number of cages in that room, you already have an army on the inside. Pike is going to try and set them free.”

“That is…that is very brave of him,” Lexa conceded. 

“It’s also pretty damn smart.” Clarke collected the maps off the floor and placed them back on the table in a neat pile. “Monty is pulling up schematics of Mount Weather. Raven is trying to help, but they had to sedate her when she found out they are bleeding our people. I don’t know how, but she’s fighting the sedative. She’s worried. I’m worried too.”

Clarke fidgeted with her armor as she spoke. It was tighter than it had been, and it was making her uncomfortable. Lexa moved to undo two of the clasps from around her waist, and Clarke sighed in relief.

“Go find Gustus. He is having new armor made for you.”

“There’s no need for that. This set is fine.”

“It isn’t. If you are uncomfortable, you will be focused on that instead of the task at hand, and it could lead to a mistake that in turn leads to your getting hurt. I won’t take that chance. You need armor that fits.”

“You’re right, niron.”

Lexa smiled cockily. “I am what?”

“You’re not wrong,” Clarke winked, not admitting a second time that her wife was right.

They left together to get Clarke’s new armor and were about to part ways. Lexa needed to meet with the arriving generals, and Clarke wanted to speak to Raven about something, but on the way, they ran into Costia and Myra who had arrived a few hours earlier. They were leading Clarke’s omega army through drills. They could also see Anya’s warriors in the distance. Clarke narrowed her eyes to see better. 

She smacked Lexa in the shoulder to get her attention. “Look.”

Lexa tipped her head back and forth a few times, and then her eyes widened. “Those men have fayagons. How the hell are there so many guns? I was assured that they were all locked up.” The alpha was seething.

“Be happy that they have them. They will help in this fight.”

“I know that,” Lexa growled, “but I am not pleased that this has been hidden from me.”

She sent a messenger to tell the generals that she would be a few minutes late. The alpha was about to stalk over to Anya’s gona, but changed her mind and headed for the fisa tent instead.

Raven was half awake on the cot. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she was clearly still trying to cope with the capture of her houmon.

“Raven,” Lexa said, startling the beta. “Care to tell me how you have three handguns, and Anya’s men have weapons that were supposed to be locked away in the vault?”

Raven’s eyes were glassy with fear and from the medicine. “They weren’t hidden from you, I swear, Heda. After the guns were locked away, Anya reasoned that if we found one bunker with stored weapons, there might be more.” She smiled sheepishly up at the Commander. “You remember when we left for our honeymoon?”

Lexa couldn’t help but smirk but tried to keep it hidden. The concept of a honeymoon had been very foreign to her people. “I remember. You told me it was a way to get away, learn more about each other, and fuck like bunny rabbits.” The Commander regretted not having been able to go on a honeymoon with her houmon yet. She hoped it wasn’t too late.

“That’s right, but that wasn’t all we did. We went searching for bunkers, and we found a few. We hit paydirt with the last one. It was close to Mount Weather, so it was also the most promising.”

A low rumble emanated from Lexa’s chest. “You are lucky you were not discovered by the Mountain men.”

“Relax, Commander Crabby. We were obviously careful, and now you have a battalion that isn’t just bringing a knife to a gun fight. Besides, it was Anya’s idea. Take it up with her…if” Raven’s eyes began to water. “…if we get her back.” Raven started weeping freely again.

Lexa placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We will get her back. We will get all of them back.” In an uncharacteristic move, she sat on Raven’s cot and moved a sweaty piece of hair from the beta’s eyes. She did what she could to calm her friend and told her of their plans. It helped to ease what Raven was going through a little, but she wasn’t happy that she was going to be left behind. Raven tried to pull herself together, and it worked for a little while.

Raven sighed. “At least Anya’s men know how to detonate the bombs. Make sure they blow that motherfucking door to smithereens.”

The corner of Lexa’s mouth lifted. “I will tell them you said that.”

“And tell them if they don’t, I will make each of them go boom.” 

Lexa stood then. “I am sure the threat will be sufficient. None of the gona want to face your wrath, strik sora.”

Clarke wandered through TonDC, watching as each army arrived and set up camp for the night. At daybreak they would all move to the Mountain. She finally ran into Gustus. He was with the blacksmith who handed her the new armor. It was lightweight, but made almost entirely out of metal, with extra-thick breast and abdominal plates that were fastened together, almost like scales, to allow for ease of movement. She had to admit that she was much more comfortable with the new protection.

She thanked the blacksmith then wandered with Gustus for a few minutes. They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

“You are worried, strik gona,” Gustus said, breaking the silence.

“Of course, I am. I don’t know if we are ready to take down the Mountain, but I know we have to try, and the way my heart has been aching constantly since the others were taken makes me think that I am feeling their pain. The Maunon are hurting them, and I am feeling a pull toward them. If I could, I would leave now, but I know it would only get me killed.”

“As Wanheda, it may be that you are feeling their pain. You have always been sensitive to the feelings of others. This is no different, and it is why you will help lead us, with Heda, to victory.” Gustus stopped their progress and took her hand. “That pull you feel is the need to protect the lives you hold so dear to you, and we know that includes every person in the coalition. Your job as Commander of Death is also to preserve life, and I have every confidence that you and Heda will achieve this.”

Myra walked up and put her arms around her mate. “Listen to my wise houmon, Clarke. The words he speaks are true.”

“I hope so, because suddenly I am feeling woefully underprepared for this fight. I know that no matter how pissed and angry I am right now that it might not be enough.”

Myra held out a hand and pulled Clarke into a group hug. “It will be. You are ready for this.”

The next morning, Heda and Wanheda led the armies to the Mountain. They approached with caution, expecting the acid fog. They knew approximately how far to stay away from the Mountain to avoid it, but a few gona from Broadleaf’s army broke rank to advance on the Mountain. Their fight ended in a cloud of yellow mist. Their screams of pain could be heard by the masses. 

Costia, who was at the head of the omega army could be heard saying, “Yu gonplei ste odon, stupid nomonjokkers.” None of the people had sympathy for the men who couldn’t follow orders.

Echo, who flanked Clarke, turned and gave the omega a look. Costia just shrugged and said, “What? They were.”

As they waited for the fog to clear, a few snipers, some in white suits and some not, took potshots at the army. A couple got off lucky shots and hit a gona or two but were then quickly felled by arrows from Heda’s marksmen. After that it was quiet for several hours. 

“Something isn’t right,” Clarke said. “I feel like something is about to happen.” She scanned their surroundings as the hairs on the back of her neck stood. She could sense danger coming but couldn’t see anything.

Monty came flying up the hill, waving the radio in the air. “Reapers,” he screamed. “They have an army of reapers…”

He didn’t need to finish his sentence. Swarms of reapers started to come out of nowhere, hundreds of them. The grounders closest to Monty could hear the radio squawk to life. It was the men hidden in the reaper tunnels yelling warnings. They were hiding under an empty rail car that they had been able to flip over. There was no way they could fight the ripas. There were too many. They would be trapped until the reapers cleared out.

“Incoming,” someone yelled.

The entire army was starting to fight. For every one ripa, there had to have been six gona, but still more warriors than ripas fell, at least at first. Even deep sword wounds couldn’t take down these reapers.

Heda and Wanheda got into the fray and started fighting back to back while the Commander yelled orders to the troops. “Aim for the blood vessels. The blood loss will slow them down and eventually kill them.”

Lexa and Clarke were doing a good job of holding their own, and the tide started to turn when Anya’s warriors starting aiming for the heads of the ripas. A stray bullet whizzed past Clarke’s head, and she glared at the warrior who shot the gun. 

“Moba, Wanheda.”

She didn’t get to reply. Another wave of ripas were exiting the woods. These reapers looked different. They were just as feral, but it wasn’t just former clansman running at them. Some of the ripas looked like people from the Ark and what she supposed were people from the Mountain.

She gasped. “They’ve started turning their own people into reapers,” Clarke yelled above the noise of the fighting.

At least ten of the new ripas were heading in their direction. Lexa turned then so that she was facing the horde instead of Clarke. Their blades flew faster than Clarke thought possible, but it seemed for every ripa they dropped, two more appeared. She could see Echo fighting not too far from them and briefly thought she looked like a Ninja from the films Raven favored so much. The woman’s fighting style was like no other. 

Suddenly a high-pitched tone could be heard coming from the Mountain. All the reapers stopped fighting. Confused, many of the gona stopped fighting too. 

“Don’t stop, branwodas, finish them,” Indra yelled, slicing the head clean off a ripa who was standing completely still. The rest of the gona sprung back into action, cutting down reapers with ease.

“Commander of the 12 clans of the coalition,” a voice could be heard, presumably from a speaker on the Mountain. “This is Dante Wallace, President of Mount Weather.”

Lexa moved to stride toward the Mountain, but Clarke held her back. “Don’t Lex.”

Listening to Clarke, Lexa only moved a step forward. “You have my attention, President Wallace,” Lexa yelled.

“Cease this fight. You have no way of winning,” the disembodied voice said.

“We will not stop until you release my people.”

“I’m sorry, Commander, I can’t do that unless…”

“Unless what?” Lexa growled.

“Unless you give us the one you call Wanheda.”

Lexa’s answering roar could be heard echoing off the sides of the mountain. “Like hell we will.”

“Then all your people will die. You could save hundreds if you would just give up the one.”

“So that you can bleed her dry? We know you are using the blood of our people to keep yours alive. I will not sacrifice Wanheda to the sick perversion you call life.”

“Then we are at an impasse, and you and all your people will die.”

Monty came slinking up the hill toward Heda. He whispered in her ear then stepped back. Whatever it was he said had Lexa smiling.

“That is where you are wrong, President, it is you who will die this day.” The alpha turned to Anya’s men. “Take the bombs and set the charges.”

Men started moving forward to the base of Mount Weather.

“You are making a mistake, Commander, the door is impenetrable.”

“You mean it was impenetrable.” 

There was a moment of silence before the high-pitched tone was heard again. Once again hordes of reapers came streaming from the forest.

“Protect the men at the door. The charges must be set,” Lexa yelled.

Clarke looked to Lexa. “What’s happening?”

“The Ona Graun are in. The generators and acid fog are down. The Maunon are about to fall.”

Clarke whooped and got her second wind. Her sword was a continual flash in the sunlight as she fought off the reapers. 

Octavia and Lincoln were fighting nearby. “Wanheda, look.” Her fellow omega pointed with her sword. The reapers were turning on each other, or more precisely, the female reapers were turning on the males who were attacking Clarke. If possible, they were more brutal than even the most feral male ripas in their attacks, and they dispatched those around Clarke with ease. 

They turned to face Clarke. They advanced upon her, but she realized that it was Lexa they were stalking. While it appeared that she was safe from them, Lexa was not.

Octavia saw what was happening and yelled, “Do something.”

Clarke pushed out her pheromones, and while it made them pause, the female ripas did not stop their advance.

“Hod op (stop),” she hollered at them, and to her surprise, they obeyed. Two made to move toward Lexa, and she repeated herself, only with more authority.

They obeyed her command, but Clarke didn’t know for how long, so she yelled. “You will only attack the other ripas. Protect this woman.” She pointed at Lexa. “She is your Heda.”

The blood lust in their eyes faded for a moment as the command sank in. Clarke could see that they were struggling with what to do. It appeared that these ripas were not as mindless as the others. 

They turned as a unit and attacked their male counterparts. Even those who were far from Clarke and couldn’t possibly have heard the command started fighting with the other reapers.

“And the powers of Wanheda strike again,” Octavia yelled in victory. The rest of the ripas had fallen. The females approached Clarke again, sniffed the air, then turned to disappear back into the trees. “I don’t know what the hell just happened,” the omega continued, “but I am damn glad it did.”

Clarke looked at her friend. Octavia was covered in blood. They all were, and looking around, she could see that there were many dead. The ground had been steeped in blood. Despite this, the day was theirs.

“Everyone, stand back,” someone yelled from the base of the Mountain. “For the first time ever, we are going to enter the Mountain willingly.”

The men ran back from where they placed the bombs. They barely moved far enough away before an earth-shattering explosion shook the ground. Lexa ensconced Clarke’s body with her own to prevent her from getting hit with debris.

When the air cleared, Octavia said, “Raven is going to be so pissed that she missed this.”

They all stared, astonished, at the gaping hole in the Mountain. “Kom Wor!” Lexa roared as she led the charge into the Mountain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for the support, kudos, and comments. 
> 
> Stay safe out there.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with this chapter and am not sure if it is up to par. I hope you all enjoy it.

Chapter 23

Getting into the Mountain hadn’t been easy. The Maunon were ready and waiting and easily picked off many of the gona as they funneled through the door. Wanheda barked off as many orders as the Commander and after a fierce two-hour battle, and judicious use of Anya’s men and Raven’s grenades, they were finally able to stream through the door. 

The sight nearly had Clarke running to a corner so she could throw up. Dead men littered the too small corridor, and while Clarke was no stranger to dead bodies, the number of them was staggering. It was worse than the pile of bodies when they fought the reapers in the tunnels before they discovered the Ona Graun. Anger rippled through the omega. The dead were young and old alike, but by the looks of them, they had only recently been conscripted in the Maun-de’s army. It was clear that they were ill-prepared to fight the battle that they had just lost, and it made Clarke think that President Wallace was holding back the rest of his men somewhere deeper in the Mountain. She looked at Heda who looked to be having the same thoughts.

Once it was safe, Clarke had Monty escorted into the Mountain. He was tasked with helping her and Lexa find the control room. Raven, who promised to remain pissed for the rest of her life for not being able to be a part of the battle, had been certain that there would be cameras in there. The cameras would allow them to see all levels of the Mountain making it easier to navigate the monstrosity. Monty had the schematics and blueprints of Mount Weather but seeing something on paper was very different than seeing in person. 

As they walked the through the corridors, Clarke could feel everyone’s unease. The structure of Mount Weather was very foreign to her, Lexa, and the grounder army. Even those from the Ark didn’t seem comfortable surrounded by the concrete walls. Being able to see it through the cameras might help lower everyone’s anxiety. 

As was planned earlier, Indra was leading her warriors to level three. Based on the little they knew, this level held the medical ward and labs. They figured it might also serve as the warehouse for their missing people. If they were draining their people of blood, this is where it would be happening. The Ona Graun, who were already in the Mountain, were to head to level four where all life support functions were stored. They had already destroyed the dam, but they needed to dismantle any backup generators.

A different team being led by Gustus and consisting of several of the best minds from the former Skaikru, were heading to level two, the science labs. Raven and Monty had exhaustively studied the information they had about Mount Weather. They determined that level two would be where Clarke’s blood sample and any information about her would be stored. Once inside the science labs, Jackson would take the lead, finding any and all information the Maunon had gathered, downloading it on a tablet provided by Raven, and then purging everything they had.

Clarke’s omega army was charged with protecting Heda and the Queen. Myra and Costia led the group while Echo stayed annoyingly close to Wanheda, who couldn’t shake the sense of dread she had since entering Mount Weather. As irritating as Clarke found the alpha’s close attention, she couldn’t fault the her for it. Echo was only doing the job she had sworn to do.

“We’re here.” Monty had done his job and they were now standing outside the door to the control room.

“Can you get the door open?” Lexa asked him.

“Oh, ye of little faith,” he replied. He walked to the control panel next to the door, connected his tablet with some kind of wire, and pressed a few buttons. Several beeps and clicks could be heard and suddenly the door popped open. Clarke and Lexa quickly stepped in, expecting a fight, but the people that sat at the cameras and computers in the room had no weapons. They apparently had felt safe in the knowledge that the door had been locked. Little did they know that Monty had mad hacking skills.

The occupants, two men and three women stood when Lexa and Clarke entered the room, but they didn’t have a chance to do much more than that. Clarke sent out a wide blast of pheromones, sending them to their knees. Lexa then stepped forward and knocked each one unconscious with the butt of her dagger.

“That felt too easy,” Clarke observed.

“It did,” Lexa replied as she secured the people she had just knocked out. She wanted them alive if Monty was unable to breach their system.

The beta’s fingers were already flying over the keyboard of one of the computers. Several screens contained views from the different levels of the Mountain, but as he worked, Monty had more screens popping to life. His gasp of horror had everyone stopping what they were doing. Their attention was drawn to the monitors before them. What they were witnessing was the extent of the Maunon’s depravity.

Lexa roared. Two screens showed the cages her people were being held prisoner in. There were rows and rows of them, and by her estimation, eighty percent of them were filled with her people. They were small and cramped, not even big enough to fully sit up or stretch out their legs. Another screen showed what could only be called a harvest room. Two grounders were hanging upside down from the ceiling with tubes inserted into their bodies. Blood was flowing through the tubing. It was impossible to tell if the two people were still alive.

“Look,” Clarke said as she pointed to a different screen. “Indra has made it. She will get our people out of those cages.” Directing her gaze to Monty, she asked if Indra was going to be able to get in. 

“I’m already on it.” Monty didn’t even look up from what he was doing. True to his word, when Clarke’s attention landed on the screens again, Indra was already racing into the room with her men and breaking the locks on each cage. Emaciated, starved, and ill men and women fell from the cages. Indra and her men helped each one. Clarke couldn’t help but growl when she saw that not all the people in the cages were still alive. Indra had them carefully moved, and Clarke was sure she was telling each one that their fight was over.

“Jok. I will kill them all.” Clarke was seething with an anger that she had not felt before. It didn’t even compare to what she had felt toward her mother. It was different. It was more. The Maunon were exploiting her people. They were keeping themselves alive at the cost of hers. It was sickening.

Clarke gazed at each screen. Gustus and Jackson had gotten into the science labs, and the Ona Graun had made it to level four.

“I still think this has been too easy,” Clarke stated to no one in general.

“I agree with you, niron.” Lexa walked over to one of the unconscious women and shook them awake. “Tell me where your president and son are.” The woman didn’t initially reply, so Lexa bared her teeth and growled. She forced the woman to submit.

“Tell me where they are.” She yelled again.

The woman pointed a shaky finger to one of the monitors. It showed a room full of people, normal people, sitting at tables, eating and laughing, and clearly oblivious to what was happening on the other levels of the Mountain. Lexa, Clarke, and Echo began to growl simultaneously. The woman pointed to two men in matching dark navy suits. “That’s the President and his son,” the woman said.

That wasn’t why they were growling. Sitting in complete comfort, dressed in the same clothing as many of the Maunon, was none other than the Azplana. Next to her sat Wells, and they both looked like they didn’t have a care in the world. Nia sipped delicately from a wine glass and smiled at something the President said.

Lexa’s roar reverberated through the room causing the rest of them to cover their ears. 

“Dei de joken bushhada (that fucking coward). Dei de natrona (that traitor),” Lexa screamed. She grabbed the Mountain woman by her collar. “What level is that?”

“L-level five.”

Clarke stood frozen in disbelief. Skaikru she could understand, but she could not wrap her head around the fact that Nia would so utterly betray her people and side with those that had been killing the grounders for generations, bleeding them dry to keep themselves alive, or turning them into reapers. 

“Ai na frag em op (I will kill her).” Lexa was fuming. 

They needed to get to level five, but Clarke knew that the President and Azplana were using the people in the room, the innocent men, women and children, to shield themselves from the coming army. She assumed that they thought Heda and Wanheda wouldn’t harm the innocents just to get to them, and they were right…for now. She studied the screen. If she looked closely, she could see that several men with guns were littered throughout the room. If they went storming onto level five, many of the innocent people would get hurt. 

She was desperate to think of something, anything, that would be threatening enough to get their enemies out of that room without hurting all the other people. There were children in that room that Clarke would not risk getting hurt.

Whatever her threat was, it had to be real. It had to cause enough fear in the President and his son that they would surrender themselves without a fight.

She thought about the grounders that were being bled and the reason for it.

“Monty,” she said suddenly, getting the beta’s attention. “Can you do something to reverse the flow of air and let the outside air in without it affecting level four where the Underground is right now?” He looked at her curiously but informed her that it could be done.

A look of understanding crossed Lexa’s face. “You want to irradiate the Mountain? That would kill everyone.” Heda looked both impressed and horrified at Clarke’s idea.

“We need a threat that they will take seriously.” Clarke was desperate to find a solution that didn’t involve more bloodshed. “I don’t want to kill anyone else, but they need to believe that we are willing to kill everyone if it means we can take the Mountain down.”

Monty shuddered, but did what he was asked. After a few minutes, he pointed to a lever in the center of the room. “All you have to do is pull that.”

She looked at the woman Lexa was still standing over. “Does your President carry a radio?” The woman nodded.

“Good.” She grabbed a radio from a bunch that were sitting on a charging station. She had the woman tell her which channel to tune into and began to speak.

“President Dante Wallace, this is Clarke kom Natblida, Wanheda speaking.” She waited a second while watching the screen. She could see the moment he heard her transmission. The man looked up at a camera above him and gave a sickening smile. 

“Clarke,” he said, lifting the radio to his mouth as he left the table so as not to draw attention to himself. “I have been waiting to hear from you. It is good to finally hear your voice. You have developed quite a name for yourself since you landed.”

She ignored his statement. “You have no way out of this, Wallace. We are inside and already freeing our people. The generators and science labs are being dismantled. Turn yourself, your son, Nia, and Wells over to us, and the rest of your people do not have to get hurt.”

“That is not going to happen. We have something that you want. If you want it back, you will leave our home.”

“You have nothing that we want. Listen to me, Dante, we are in your control room, and we are prepared to irradiate this entire Mountain if we have to.”

“I don’t think so,” he said casually. He went over to the others and got their attention. They all stood and walked away from the table to a secluded section of the giant room. The other inhabitants of the room didn’t even take notice. The President disappeared behind a curtain, only to reappear. He pushed the curtain open to reveal two kneeling figures. A badly beaten Anya and Charles Pike knelt on the floor before him. Two men held guns to their heads.

“Like I said. We have something that you want.”

Lexa roared again and sent orders flying. The omega army moved to follow her out of the room as she raced to level five, leaving Clarke and Monty in the control room.

Clarke’s mind was racing. She needed to go with Lexa and the army, but she also needed to stand by in case she needed to make her threat a reality. 

“Jok. Monty, what do we do? I need to go with them.”

The beta gave her a look before turning his attention to the computer he was working at. She didn’t understand what he was doing until he handed her the tablet that had been sitting at his side. “Take this,” he said grimly. He pointed at the screen. “Touch the yellow square in the middle of the screen, and it will do the same thing as the lever. Just know that if you do, there is no reversing it. You will irradiate and kill everyone that isn’t on level four. There are hundreds of people down there, Clarke, and only our people will survive.”

Clarke scrubbed her face with her hands. “I know, Monty. I know, but what else can I do?”

She didn’t want to kill everyone. She didn’t want that kind of blood on her hands, but if they didn’t rescue Anya and Pike, then the Maunon would continue to terrorize her people. One way or another, this fight was ending today. Clarke braced herself for what she might have to do. 

She squeezed Monty’s shoulder and told him to stay in the control room. “Keep that radio nearby and let me know the second something changes. I promise you that I will only press the button if I absolutely have to.”

With that she raced out of the room to follow Lexa and the others, running carefully so as not to accidentally jostle the tablet and irradiate everyone by mistake.

She caught up to the others just as they were entering level five. Lexa and the omega army had their weapons drawn and were filing into the room filled with unsuspecting Maunon. People who had just been enjoying themselves started screaming and jumping up from their tables when they caught sight of the warriors. Mothers grabbed crying children, and others tried to flee the room. They didn’t get the chance. They were surrounded by Wanheda’s army. The men Clarke had seen earlier lifted their weapons, but before things could get further out of hand, Clarke stepped next to Heda. They both sent out waves of pheromones, dropping the panicked people to their knees. 

“We are not here to hurt you,” Lexa said trying to reassure, “but for too long your people have been taking and killing mine. That ends today. We have already infiltrated every level of your home, and we are rescuing our people. We will destroy everything unless your President, his son, and two of your guests, Wells Jaha and Nia kom Azgeda turn themselves into us. If they do not, we are prepared to let the outside air in, air that we can breathe but you cannot. It will kill every one of you without our having to lift a finger.”

Frightened and horrified people stared back at them, and Clarke wasn’t sure she would be able to kill all these people. Not after looking them in their eyes.

“President Wallace,” Clarke yelled. “Give yourselves to us and let your people live. There is no way out of this. End this peacefully.”

The President made himself visible, as did his son, Wells, and Nia. The bitch had a smirk on her face like she already knew she had won the battle. She knew something that they did not, and it made Clarke nervous. Two men were dragging Anya and Pike forward, and a woman in a while lab coat stood behind them. She was holding two syringes filled with a black substance. Clarke had a feeling she knew what they contained. 

Something was up.

“I don’t think so,” Dante said. “We will be leaving with our lives intact.”

“You can’t leave at all,” Lexa yelled. “Not you or your son. You’d have to be able to breathe the outside air.”

“Ah, well, you see, we can. Your little omega over there, her blood has amazing properties to it. We have tested it exhaustively. We have replicated it, and we have even altered it. We have made it better. All it took was some tweaking and we were able to make ourselves invincible to your air,” he chuckled, “and that is just one of the many things your wife’s wonderful black blood can do.”

Every grounder in the room began to growl. The people on their knees began to shiver.

“My people are meant to inherit this earth,” he continued. “You are just savages that were left behind in order to give us what we needed to survive this ordeal underground until we were able to walk in the sun again. We knew with perseverance, we would one day be free again, and your omega made that possible. Without her, we would have been stuck in this mountain forever.”

“I assure you President Wallace you will not be leaving this mountain, not alive, and if you try, not only you will die, but your people will as well.”

Nia’s smirk grew. The President took a step forward. He looked at the people on their knees. They looked at him with hope in their eyes, certain that their leader would get them out of this. 

“These people who you are forcing to submit, they are no longer my people. I have a new people. The Queen of Azgeda has made me and my son a deal that I just cannot pass up. We will join her people, and I will rule by her side.”

Clarke narrowed her eyes. “You just said your people were meant to inherit the earth. That can’t happen if you leave them all behind to die in the Mountain.”

“I wasn’t talking about these people,” he said as he swept his hand in a gesture indicating the people on their knees. “I was talking about the Wallaces. Me and my son.”

“That’s sick,” someone said from the ground.

Another said, “Wallace, you son of a bitch, please tell us that this isn’t true.”

Dante ignored them. He backed up again until he was standing next to Nia and his son. He looked at the woman in the lab coat. “Do it, Doctor Tsing.” 

Before they knew what was happening, the doctor stepped forward, handed a syringe to one of the guards, and they each plunged a syringe deep into Anya’s and Pike’s necks. 

Everything then happened too fast. Two arrows flew through the air, and the guard and doctor dropped dead to the ground. Anya and Pike fell to their sides and started to convulse. Dante pulled a device from his pocket and hit a button. A loud groaning could be heard within the walls, and his people looked at him in terror. Nia, the icy bitch, started to cackle.

“What did you just do?” One of his people asked.

“What I needed to do to ensure my survival.”

“Take him down,” Clarke yelled, but before anyone could make a move, the people kneeling on the floor started to scream in pain. Their skin started to redden and blister, almost as if it was melting off their bodies. Several tried to stand, only to fall. Heart wrenching wails filled the air, and Clarke watched in horror as the people before her died. All of them.

In the chaos of it all, Dante made his escape with the others. The Commander and the army couldn’t get past the bodies fast enough to stop them, and those with bows were too stunned by what was happening around them to move.

Clarke was frozen. She watched them escape, and she was helpless to stop them. Tears slid down her cheeks as she watched the people before her dying agonizing deaths. Her gaze fixed on that of a child, no more than two years old. He had blonde hair and deep blue eyes. He could have been her pup. She could do nothing to give him comfort as he took his last breaths. 

She dropped the tablet that was still in her hands, horrified that this was what she had been about to do to these people. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the poor boy, and she eventually sat on the floor and cradled him to her body. She rocked back and forth then began to sob. She may not have hit the button, but she felt she was partly responsible for the death that now lay before her. They were all responsible, every one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I can now say that the twist in this chapter came out of nowhere. I never expected Dante to kill his own people, but that's what happened. I think I just didn't want Clarke to have that burden, although she is obviously feeling it right now. 
> 
> I know it was a horrible place to end the chapter, but I couldn't figure out any other way to do it without adding another 3000 words and having you all wait another week for an update.
> 
> I am eager to hear your thoughts.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a week it has been. I was able to leave work early yesterday, so sat outside in the sunshine to write this. It will answer some questions, but leave others unanswered until next chapter.
> 
> Happy reading.

Chapter 24

There was chaos in the room, but Clarke was unaware of it. In her shock, all she could think about was why Nia, Dante, and the others hadn’t gone to their knees when Clarke and Lexa had been able to make three hundred and fifty others submit. It was the most people they had ever brought to their knees, but in the moment, it had felt easy. They walked in and brought them down with ease, so why hadn’t Dante, Cage, Wells, and Nia fallen? Was it that the room was too large? Maybe it was that their dominance didn’t extend as far as they thought. Maybe Clarke just wasn’t strong enough.

She looked around the room at all the bodies, and then her eyes fell on where Anya and Pike were convulsing on the floor. Costia and Lexa were doing what they could to keep the General from hurting herself while Echo and Myra were trying to hold down Pike. A deep sense of dread filled Clarke as she thought about what was in the syringes that had been plunged into her fallen comrades’ necks. She knew without a doubt that the Maunon had done something to her blood, and whatever it was it was the reason her fos was suffering on the ground. 

Someone must have contacted Jackson. He came sliding into the room only to quickly excuse himself to go get sick. The stench of death and melted flesh was too much for him to bear. When he reappeared, he ran to the Commander’s side.

“What happened?”

“That happened.” Lexa pointed to the two empty syringes on the floor.

The doctor paled. “Shit. We didn’t have time to look at everything, but I think they did something to the Queen’s blood. That’s how they have been making those super powerful reapers.”

Lexa and the others nearby gasped. The Commander looked over to where her wife was sitting with a fallen child in her lap. Clarke’s blue eyes were filled with tears, and she wanted nothing more than to go to her, but Anya needed her more right now. She was afraid if she let go, her former fos would get hurt. As it was, Lexa wasn’t sure if the General was going to survive.

“What do we do?” She asked Jackson.

“I don’t know, but until we do, I suggest we move them to somewhere secure. If they are changing into ripas, I think it would be best if they were somewhere that they can’t hurt anyone. There are a few secure rooms near the medical labs. I think we should put them in there while I search for a cure with the others.”

Just then a piercing wail left Anya’s lips, and copper-brown eyes focused on Lexa. Anya wasn’t able to speak, and for the first time that she could remember, Lexa saw fear in the other alpha’s eyes.

She forced out as many calming pheromones as she could in order to soothe her friend, but it only seemed to agitate the woman. Anya started to writhe again.

“Get them both somewhere safe and do what you can to make them comfortable.” She gave Jackson’s shoulder a squeeze then looked at him with imploring eyes. “Please save her for me.”

“I will do my best, Heda.”

Lexa watched as Jackson rounded up a few of the warriors and carried Anya and Pike out of sight. She worried for her friend. They had never been able to heal a ripa. Once a ripa always a ripa. The only way to help them was to put them out of their misery. The Commander had to rein in her emotions. The thought of having to put Anya down was almost too much for her. As it was, her emotions were already all over the place, but everything she was feeling was trumped by her anger at Dante and Nia getting away with Cage and Wells. She had already commanded her fastest riders, Tristan and Quint, to ride to Polis to tell them of the events in the Mountain. 

She was sure that Nia and Dante were already well on their way to Azgeda, but Nia had miscalculated. Her army was here with Lexa, and more than a dozen of her gona had seen her betrayal. They had seen her standing next to their biggest enemy. If she thought she was going to be able to rally her troops and march against Heda and Wanheda, she was sorely mistaken. If there was only one thing Lexa could feel secure in at that moment it was that the Azplana’s army was now hers to command.

After what felt like hours and two hundred commands later, Lexa was finally able to make her way carefully back over to her wife. Each body she had to step around broke her heart. Lexa had been in countless battles, and she had witnessed the results of brutal slaughters, but never had she beheld the senseless killing of so many people. What was it all for? Why drain her people to keep his people alive if all Dante was going to do was sacrifice them so that he could get away? 

As she got closer to Clarke, she could hear her growling. Echo was trying to comfort her while also trying to get her Queen to relinquish the hold she had on the horribly disfigured boy in her arms. 

“Please, my Queen,” she heard Echo saying. “Let me prepare him for the pyre.” 

Lexa had ordered that all the bodies be moved above ground and prepared for the pyre. They may have lived underground, but their final journey would take place above it. 

She finally arrived at Clarke’s side and dismissed Echo with a nod. “Niron, it’s time to let the child go.”

Clarke looked up at her with sad eyes. “He’s dead because of me.”

Lexa sent a look to the rest of the people in the room. Except for Costia and Myra, who kept their distance, everyone else left, leaving the Commander to have a private moment with her houmon.

“You did not do this, Clarke, nor is it your fault. It was clear that President Wallace premeditated this. He was prepared to sacrifice his people.”

“But so were we. I had the same idea.”

Lexa sat down next to Clarke, doing her best to not to jostle the omega or her precious cargo. “Maybe so, but unlike Wallace, you did not go through with it, and even if he had been able to hold a fayagon to my head, I know you still wouldn’t have done it.”

“Maybe not, but it’s still my fault he got away with the others.”

Lexa admitted that she was perplexed. “Hodnes, why would you think that?”

Clarke’s eyes were glassy and the skin around them puffy from crying. “How is it that they withstood our combined dominance while every other person in this room submitted?”

Lexa hadn’t thought about it until that moment. If it had been her alone, she would have known that her reach didn’t extend that far, but with Clarke by her side, it should have, although the full reach of their combined pheromones had never been fully tested.

“They were probably just too far away.

“No,” Clarke protested, shaking her head. “I don’t think that is it.” A stray tear leaked from her eye. “They did something with my blood. I know they did.”

“You can’t know that.”

“Did you get a good look at the syringes they used on Anya and Pike? If you did, then you know as well as I do that whatever was in them had something to do with my blood. Have Eric test it. I have no doubts about what he will find.”

“Even if that is so, you can’t possibly know that they did something with that sample that allows them to withstand our pheromones.”

“I do know,” Clarke yelled. “Why else would they be able withstand it? As an omega, I shouldn’t be able to stand up to you, or any other alpha, but I can, and I certainly shouldn’t be able to bring an alpha to their knees, but I can. I just know that whatever it is in me, whatever it is in my blood, they found a way to pervert it, and now Anya is turning into a ripa, and they’ve done something with it that allows them to stand up against you, against us. How do we protect the Coalition if they have become more powerful than us?”

“Niron,” Lexa scooted closer to Clarke and rested her head on the omega’s shoulder. She brushed her fingers through the blonde hair of the little boy in omega’s lap. “We don’t know if they are more powerful, or if they can simply withstand us, but we owe it to this boy, and every other person Wallace and Nia have ever hurt or killed to be better than them. We will find out what they have done to Anya, and we will undo it, and then we will hunt them down. We will destroy them and anyone who tries to stand in the way of the peace we are trying to achieve.” Lexa paused to look into the still watery blue eyes of her houmon. “We don’t know much about Dante Wallace and his son, but you can bet that Nia will try and use this newfound power of hers to take over the coalition, but I know within my heart that she won’t be able to. No matter how powerful she has become, you and I are more powerful, and do you know why?”

Clarke shook her head. 

“Because we have one another and the strength of our love and that of our family. I have no doubt that Nia thinks love is weakness, but she is wrong, it is our love for each other and our people that will help us prevail, and precisely why she will fail.” Lexa stood up, and Clarke finally allowed the boy to be lifted from her arms.

“Let’s give him and the others the send off they deserve, and then I promise you we will not rest until Anya is back in Raven’s arms and Nia and the others are brought to their knees.”

Clarke steeled herself for what was going to be a difficult few hours then got to her feet. She took the body of the boy back from Lexa and made her way outside where the pyres were already being erected. Lexa stayed behind to coordinate the movement of the rest of the bodies. 

Myra walked beside Clarke, carrying the shrouded body of a little girl who likely was the sister to the boy. The omegas were silent as they ascended from the bowels of the Mountain, the weight of the innocent lives in their arms weighing them down.

Clarke looked around when they were finally outside the confines of the concrete walls. She was stunned to find it was still daylight. Granted, the sun was low on the horizon, but she expected it to be much later. Men and women scurried around like ants, building pyres and carrying bodies. No one was working harder than the gona from Azgeda. It seemed that the betrayal of their queen spurred them on to prove their loyalty to Heda and the queen. Clarke imagined that there must be a new deep-seeded hatred for the Azplana among the men.

She looked around and saw that a multitude of tents had been pitched, and far from the pyres, cooking fires had been lit. Tonight, there would be a celebration, despite the tragedy of what happened during the day. No matter how it had happened, the Coalition’s greatest foe had fallen, and the Mountain was theirs.

Clarke had just gently set the boy next to his sister when a heartbreaking wail erupted from the woods. A man, one of the snipers from earlier, came charging from the forest, rifle aimed at Clarke’s head. She could feel the dominance pouring off the powerful alpha, but she was unaffected and remained on her feet.

He stalked toward her. “What did you do?” He had tears streaming from his eyes. “You killed them. You killed them all.” He raised the rifle and prepared to shoot. “You killed my children.”

Only Myra was near her. Echo wasn’t far, but she had just had the body of a woman in her arms. She prepared to drop the body and defend her queen, but Clarke shook her head.

Instead of dropping the man to his knees like she wanted to, Clarke let soothing pheromones flow from her body as she spoke. “We didn’t do this. We didn’t kill you people. Your president did.”

“You’re lying,” he spewed.

Clarke held up her hands, showing she was defenseless. “I’m not. This boy, your boy, was standing near me when your president pulled a device from his pocket. He hit a button and irradiated your people. There was nothing we could do to stop it.” Clarke didn’t dare mention that she had been prepared to do the same thing if push came to shove.

“He wouldn’t do that.” He clicked off the safety of the rifle. It was no longer safe to try and placate the alpha, so Clarke used what she had within her and forced him to submit. 

He cried freely and didn’t try to fight. His neck was bared to Clarke, but his eyes were on his two children. Clarke walked over and squatted before him. She placed a hand on his shoulder and the other on her belly. “I may not have pups yet, Carl Emerson,” Clarke said, reading the name off his military jacket, “but I know I would give my life to protect even my unborn children. I know some of the pain you are suffering, but as the Queen of the Coalition, I can promise you that we did not do this. Dante Wallace betrayed your people and saved himself. He left with our common enemy. He killed your children to save himself and his own child.”

Clarke released her hold on the man, and he crawled over to his children. He howled and wailed and laid his soul to bare in front of the people he had thought were his enemy. Myra casually picked up the rifle he had dropped, taking away his only weapon while Clarke stood by his side and let him mourn. She didn’t try to soothe or calm the man. She let him grieve until the pyres were ready.

She felt it the moment Lexa stepped from the Mountain but made sure to keep her wife at bay. She could sense the alpha’s agitation that she was standing so close to one of the Mountain men, but Clarke was hoping that if he was allowed to mourn his loss and see that his people were being treated with respect that maybe instead of remaining an enemy, he could become an ally. Having one of Dante’s men on their side could prove to be very valuable although this isn’t why she let the man grieve. Every parent deserved to say goodbye to their children in their own time. She would allow him all the time he needed.

After some time, Emerson finally wiped his eyes and stood. His chest heaved a couple more times, but he didn’t cry. He turned to Clarke. “Thank you for giving me time with my pups.”

“There is no hurry, Carl, if you need more…”

“No,” he interrupted. “I can’t stand to look at them anymore. Not like this. I want to remember them as they were.”

She nodded her head in understanding. “There is a pyre over there waiting for them. Would you like help carrying them over to it, or would you like to do it yourself.”

He took a shaky breath. “Will you help me?”

Clarke nodded again and lifted the body of the boy that she had already spent so much time holding. She waited for Carl to pick up his daughter, and they both moved to the pyre set aside for the two children.

After the bodies were set on top of the mounded wood, Clarke handed the Mountain man a torch. He looked at his children one more time before setting the wood alight. 

“In peace may you find the shore,” Clarke whispered, not knowing where the words were coming from. “In love may you find the next. Safe passage on your travels until your final journey to the ground. May we meet again.”

“May we meet again.” It was chorused by the former members of Skaikru that were present.

Carl dissolved into tears again. “May we meet again.”

Clarke walked away from Carl Emerson’s side but left six gona near him just in case he decided to be troublesome. She walked over to where Lexa was observing the fires and hugged her from behind.

“What you did for that man was a kindness that I don’t know if I would have had. He is our enemy, Clarke.”

“Maybe, but he might not be either. Not anymore, and besides, enemy or not, no parent should be denied the right to say goodbye to their pups.”

Lexa turned to face her wife. “This is why the spirit of Wanheda resides within you. You have an understanding of life and death that many of us do not, and you can empathize with others where sometimes I cannot. I only see him as an enemy, but you see for everything else that he is and you understand what he is feeling.”

Clarke gave her houmon a weak smile. “I don’t know about all that. I just know that if it was our pups, I would want the chance to say goodbye properly, to tell them I love them, and that I will see them again.”

Lexa held Clarke’s hand as she led her away from roaring flames. The heat was building and she could see the sweat beading on the omega’s brow. She moved them to somewhere cooler, but they didn’t leave, not until all the dead had been sent on their ways and each fire guttered out. By the time it was over, the Commander could feel her wife’s fatigue.

“We can go now, niron.”

“No, not yet.” Clarke didn’t want to leave until Emerson was ready. She didn’t want him to feel as if they had abandoned his people to go and celebrate as many of the others already had. She felt it was important for him to see that the leaders of the Coalition had stayed to fully pay respect to his dead comrades. 

When he finally turned from the ashes, he looked broken but not unfixable. Clarke was surprised when Lexa moved to stand next to him.

“If you will accept it, we have set up a tent for you. There is a fire nearby and food. I don’t think it would be wise for you to go back into the Mountain tonight, not after the carnage that happened there today. Let us clean it up, so that when you reenter your home it is as you remember it.”

“Thank you. I don’t know if I will ever be able to go back inside. I don’t know what I am going to do.”

“Tonight, you don’t need to do anything. We can figure it out tomorrow. I will also make sure that you have access to the video that shows this was Dante’s doing, not ours.”

Clarke was floored when Emerson said that he didn’t want to see it. Seeing it would mean seeing the death of his people, and his children. It was not something he wanted to witness. He was about to be shown his tent when he stopped and looked at Clarke. 

“Thank you…for the kind words you said before.”

“You…you’re welcome.”

He gave a single bob of his head and let himself be led to where he would be staying the night.

“You do know that I will have no less than ten men guarding his tent,” Lexa said.

“I would expect nothing else.”

“The words he was talking about. I have never heard you say them before,” Lexa commented.

“I didn’t remember them, not until he lit the fire.” She thought about all the times she was forced to watch as someone was floated. She had never paid much attention to what was being said around her. She was usually too frightened, but her subconscious must have remembered for her. “I am glad I did remember. It seemed to give him comfort.”

“Again, that is why you are Wanheda, and I am not.”

Lexa squeezed her hand. “Let’s go join the celebration. They won’t start eating until we arrive, but I do know that they have been drinking. We need them to eat if we don’t want an army of hungover men tomorrow.

“Let’s go.” Clarke started to walk beside Lexa then stopped. She grabbed the alpha’s hand and placed in over her stomach. The alpha smiled when she felt a swift kick against her hand. 

“It would appear that our pups are hungry too. Find a place to sit and I will bring you food.”

They were just finishing their plates when one of the guards pointed down the hill. The beams of two headlights could be seen, and Lexa cursed. One of the rovers was speeding toward them.

“What now?” Lexa cursed under her breath. She had a feeling she knew at least one of the occupants of the rover, and she was not prepared to deliver the news of what had happened inside the Mountain.

The rover skidded to a halt and Murphy stepped out from the driver’s side. He ran to the back to help Raven get out. She was limping badly, even on her crutches, as she approached the Commander. She was nowhere near ready to be out of bed, but Lexa had learned a long time ago that there wasn’t much that would keep the beta down.

Costia and Echo, who were nearest the rover, ran to help her. Lexa flinched when she saw Raven scanning the crowd for her wife. When she didn’t find her, the beta locked eyes with Clarke. 

“Where’s my mate, Clarke? Please tell me where she is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy. Raven isn't going to be happy. We, well you, don't fully know what's going on with Anya yet, but you can bet that Raven is going to stir up hell until her mate is back in her arms.
> 
> Emerson...what's going to happen with Emerson? Hmm.
> 
> At least we know that Nia's army is now Lexa's. Nia has always been good at commanding loyalty from her people, but siding with their greatest enemy was just one more nail in her coffin. She sorely mistaken if she thinks she's going to have her army at her disposal after this.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't expected to get this chapter out before the weekend, but here it is. It might be the longest chapter I have ever written. If not, it is close to it. 
> 
> Happy reading.

Chapter 25

“Clarke, tell me where Anya is.”

Clarke set her empty plate aside, and started to stand, but Lexa kept her in place and stood instead.

“Raven, I need you to come with me.” Lexa’s voice left no room to disobey. Raven followed Lexa as she led them to her and Clarke’s personal tent.

She held the flap aside so that Raven could easily enter without tangling her crutches in the material, and then she made sure that the beta was comfortably seated before she spoke.

“I need you to listen to me, Raven, and try not to react.” Lexa could smell the sour scent of fear and anxiety coming off the beta. “Anya is still in the Mountain.”

Raven went to stand, but Lexa motioned her to stay seated. “Heda, let me up. I need to see her.”

“Not until I tell you what happened in there.”

Tears started to leak from Raven’s eyes. “Is she…is she alive?”

“She is, but the Maunon, their president…he had Anya injected with something, and it’s changing her.”

“Wh-what do you mean? How is it changing her?”

Lexa had to clear her throat because what she knew was probably happening to Anya was tearing apart her insides, and she wanted nothing more than to run back into the Mountain to be with her friend, but she was needed, at least for a little while longer, out here with her army. Her need to get Clarke out of there had also been great. She felt terrible leaving her friend behind in the Mountain, but she did not want her pregnant mate to stay where the slaughter of an entire civilization had just happened.

As it was, she knew it wouldn’t be long before Clarke was demanding to go back inside. The omega would need to see her mentor and friend. Lexa also knew that Clarke was inevitably going to blame herself for what was happening to Anya because even without testing, they knew that whatever was in the syringe was somehow made with Clarke’s blood, and although Clarke had no control over what happened to the sample Wells had stolen, because it was her blood she would always blame herself.

The copper-eyed alpha had become one of the most important people in Clarke’s life, and as far as both Clarke and Lexa were concerned, Anya was family. If something were to happen to Anya, Clarke would never forgive herself. 

“Raven, you need to know that Dr. Jackson and all the brightest minds are working to help her.”

“Just tell me what’s happening to her,” Raven yelled.

“We think…we think that whatever they did to her is changing her into a ripa.” Lexa said, voice full of regret. 

Raven collapsed in on herself and started to sob. “No. No. No. No. No. Please, no.”

Lexa sat herself on the corner of the chair and pulled the distraught beta to her. “I know I won’t be able to keep you or Clarke from seeing her, but you need to prepare yourself. She may not be the mate you remember.”

“She won’t be my mate at all,” Raven wailed. “She’ll be a reaper.”

Lexa was fighting to hold back tears. “I promise you we are going to do everything we can to help her.”

“How? You told me a long time ago that reapers can’t be cured.”

“That was before we had the resources of Mount Weather at our disposal, or the scientific minds of the people from the Ark. I am confident that we will find a way to bring Anya back to us.”

Raven let her head rest on Lexa’s shoulder. “You know, when we first got to the ground, I thought things would be the same as on the Ark. The alphas, they immediately took control over everything, and they treated the rest of us like dirt. I never thought I would trust another alpha, let alone love one, but I love Anya so damn much that it hurts, and I can’t lose her.”

“You won’t lose her. Anya is the strongest person I know, and it’s not because she is an alpha. She will fight with everything she has not to lose control.”

Raven sniffled. “I need to see her.”

At that moment, Clarke walked in. “I will take you. I…” The omega couldn’t finish her sentence. She ran over to Raven and pulled her into a tight embrace. Lexa stepped out to arrange for guards to take them back into the Mountain. 

She heard Clarke telling the beta that when Dante Wallace was caught that Raven would get the first cut.

“I’m not cutting anyone,” Raven stated vehemently. “I’m gonna make him go boom. I’m going to blow the motherfucker up.”

Clarke made eye contact with Lexa then hugged the beta harder. “At least let Anya have her cut first,” Clarke gently teased. 

“I will. Anya can have nine-hundred and ninety-nine of them if she wants, and then I am blowing him to smithereens.”

Lexa fought a smile. Even when she was at her lowest, Raven could always be counted on for her strength and bravado. “It is set then, and you will get your punishment for that detestable piece of filth. Although, if I may, I would like to suggest that your fuse be extra long so that it runs up his body then blows off his head. I want him to see the explosion coming.”

Clarke shivered at the Commander’s brutal suggestion, but Wanheda, she thought the punishment perfectly fitting for everything the leader of the Mountain men had done, and she would enjoy watching the fear creep into his eyes as the fuse burnt along his body before blowing up his head.

Echo popped her head into the tent and told them she and the guards who would be accompanying them back into the Mountain were ready. Lexa would need to stay behind to see to the grounder prisoners that had been rescued from the Mountain. When she did return inside, she wouldn’t be able to dedicate all her time to Anya as she would like. She would also have to see to the Ona Graun. 

By now, Monty should have been able to reverse the air inside the Mountain so that they could breath the air freely without fear. If nothing else, the people of the underground would now be able to expand their world by moving into the Mountain if they so desired. It was Lexa’s fervent desire to blow the whole damn place up, but she wouldn’t if they were not able to find a way to give the Ona Graun a life above the ground. Mount Weather would afford the Ona Graun many luxuries that they hadn’t experienced before. If Lexa and the others couldn’t find a way to give them a life above the ground, she would make damn sure that they had as comfortable a life as possible below it.

Clarke gave Lexa a long kiss before exiting the tent with Raven and Echo. Ryder and Costia would be among the guards. Murphy also insisted on going. Now that he was away from Polis and back with his best friend, he wasn’t going to be left behind. He stayed by Costia’s side.

At some point, Echo and Murphy had come to an understanding. They weren’t exactly friends, but they were getting there. Once Echo realized that Murphy had never had any romantic intentions toward the brunette omega, the alpha was able to relax. Likewise, once Murphy discerned that Echo would hang the sun and stars for his friend, they were able to start getting along. They both wanted what was best for Costia, and Murphy had to admit to himself that Costia and Echo made a handsome pair. He was happy that Costia found someone to cherish her the way she deserved. After the Bellamy fiasco, he had feared that the omega would push off any advances. He was glad that Costia had let Echo in.

Lexa wasn’t alone in her tent for long. Myra walked in and held out her arms. “Nomon,” Lexa sqeaked out before running into her mother’s warm embrace.

Myra simply held her daughter. It was not often that her Commander yongon (child) needed her comfort anymore, but she knew without a doubt that Lexa would need all the comfort and care that she could get in the coming days. Today was bad enough. Watching an entire civilization die before one’s eyes was not easy but pairing it with the rescue of their missing people and the prospect that her dearest friend was turning into a ripa could not be easy for the alpha. Myra also knew the strain her daughter was feeling allowing her pregnant mate to go back into that dreadful place without her. 

It was days like this that she knew her daughter struggled with being the Commander. Lexa would never let it show, but Myra knew the struggle was there. It pleased Myra to no end that Lexa allowed her to comfort her in times like this. There had been a time, shortly after Lexa had become Heda, that Lexa refused to come to her, Costia, or anyone else for help. Being Commander was a burden that many would cave under, and in the first few months, Myra thought that Lexa would be crushed by her new responsibilities. She had wanted to love and comfort her daughter, but Lexa didn’t allow it, and Myra knew it was because she didn’t want to show any weakness, even when in the privacy of her own home. Lexa had felt the need to prove herself, but Myra saw how it wore on her. It wasn’t until after coming home from one of the many battles in those days that Lexa finally broke and allowed her nomon to care for her. Her powerful alpha daughter had finally cracked under the pressure and cried in her mother’s arms. Myra had feared that Lexa would retreat back into herself after that, but she didn’t. Lexa realized that being able to lay her burdens at the feet of those who cared for her did not make her weak. It helped her grow and become stronger.

“Thank you, nomon,” Lexa said as she pulled back from the hug. Myra just smiled and kissed her forehead.

“I came to tell you that the Mountain man, Carl Emerson, is asleep. Nyko gave him something to help him rest. I was told that he offered to help in the Mountain. He was privy to what was done to many of our people, and he knows about the experiments on Clarke’s blood. He has vowed to help us as long as we allow him be a part of the hunt for his former leaders.”

Lexa sighed. Having one of the last remaining Mountain men on their side would prove to be useful. Despite herself, her heart ached for the poor man. He had lost his family, and there was nothing he could have done to help. Not only that, he lost them to a man he likely trusted with his own life. It might be wrong, but Lexa would use the betrayal Emerson felt to her advantage, and once the Wallaces, Wells, and the traitorous bitch, Nia were caught, she would offer the man a place in their society. She would help him find solace in his new life. The only thing she would not allow was for him to live in the Mountain, for obvious reasons. 

Clarke shuddered as she reentered Mount Weather. If she had her way, she would never have stepped foot into the place again, but as long as her people were in there, and as long as Anya was in there, she would be there too. She wouldn’t be leaving again without Anya walking at her side.

She watched as Raven’s eyes scanned the place. The skin around them was puffy and red. Tears still leaked out despite the tough face the beta was trying to present. Clarke reached out and took Raven’s hand. It was little comfort, but sadly, it was all she could give her friend at that moment. Behind them walked Echo and Costia. She could feel the pair’s desire to touch and comfort one another, but Echo, ever faithful to her position as the Queen’s protector, would not let her guard down. Clarke knew that even if she gave the alpha the option to relax, she wouldn’t. Echo was nothing if not loyal to her Queen, and the alpha took her position very seriously.

As they got closer to where Anya and Pike were being held, both Clarke and Raven began to tremble. The fear of what they would find was almost overwhelming. They opened the door to find Eric and several other people working behind computers and looking into microscopes. Occasionally Eric would jot down notes on a piece of paper. Behind them was where Anya and Pike were being held. They were each in a room that had a bed and a toilet, nothing more. The front wall was glass, so they were easily observed. Raven buried her head into the omega’s neck, hiding herself until she had the courage to look at the condition of her mate.

What they saw when they looked at Anya both frightened and encouraged them at the same time. Anya was on her bed. She had her knees tightly drawn up to her chest, and she was rocking back and forth. Her eyes were closed. Her breathing was rapid, but she looked like she was trying to control it. 

Raven whimpered. She could feel the pain her houmon was going through while trying to fight whatever it was the Maunon had given her.

Pike, on the other hand, looked worse. Much worse. He was stalking back and forth just behind the glass. Even though his eyes were bloodshot, they also had a yellow tinge to them. He looked feral but also sick. It was hard to hear because of the thickness of the glass, but Clarke was sure she could hear him snarling. His teeth were bared, and he was practically foaming at the mouth. The blonde had no doubt that if the man were able to escape, he would try to kill every one of them. He looked exactly like every ripa Clarke had ever encountered.

She stayed close to Raven as the beta approached the glass of her mate’s room. “Eric, is there a way for her to hear me in there?” Raven was hoping that maybe the sound of her voice would help Anya in some way.

“Yeah, hold on a minute,” the doctor said. “There’s a speaker. I just need to turn it on.” He got up and fiddled with a few switches on the wall. “Go ahead. You should be able to hear each other now.” He walked over and squeezed Raven’s shoulder. “Just be ready. She’s fighting hard, but I don’t think she is herself right now.”

“Then fix her,” Raven whisper yelled.

“We’re doing the best we can. We are pouring over their notes and charts. It shouldn’t be long before we figure out exactly what they gave these two. As soon as we do, we will work on a way to reverse it.”

Raven’s face scrunched up. Clarke could tell that she was fighting the urge to tell Jackson to work harder. The beta turned back to the glass and placed her palm on it.

“Anya, can you here me?” Raven’s voice broke and it came out almost as a whisper. Anya didn’t look up or stop her rocking. “Come on, cheekbones. I know you hear me. Don’t make me come in there and blow that bed out from under you.”

The alpha lifted her head and her lips curled into a sneer. Her chest started to heave as she slowly uncurled her legs and sat at the edge of the bed. When her head turned, red-yellow eyes narrowed and focused directly on the beta. Raven stood frozen for a second until she unconsciously took a step back. Anya stalked to the glass but stopped when she got a good look at her wife. She fisted her hands at her sides. For one moment there was a glimmer of the woman Anya was supposed be, but then her face contorted in rage, spittle leaked from the corners of her mouth and she charged the glass, slamming her body up against it.

“Anya,” Raven screamed as she scuttled a few feet from the glass, tripping on her cruches. The beta was crying again. Anya was pounding on the glass in a feral rage, slamming her body against the glass so hard, Clarke feared it would break. The omega automatically stepped in front of her friend, trying to block out the view of Anya’s savage attack.

“Anya…fos. Look at me,” Clarke pleaded, trying to get the alpha’s focus off Raven. The timbre of Clarke’s voice changed, commanding attention, and angry red eyes looked at Clarke. All eyes in the room looked at Clarke, all except Pike’s. He was still stalking the glass in his room, looking as murderous as any ripa. 

Anya did not calm, but she did still her movement. Her eyes followed every small movement Clarke made, and the omega made a brave move. She stepped forward until she was just an inch from the glass then beckoned the alpha to move closer. She watched as Anya scented the air. Clarke was pouring out soothing pheromones. The effort was beginning to make the omega sweat. She finally rested her forehead against the cool, clear surface of the glass.

Anya started to growl again, but she did not move to attack again. “You can fight this, Ahn.” The growling increased. The alpha was shaking her head. “Whatever they did to you, whatever you are feeling, you are stronger than it is. Show me why you are the General of Lexa’s armies. Show me that you are the fos who trained me to be the person I am.”

Anya was about to attack again. Clarke could feel it. “Show me that you are the alpha who will stand by my houmon’s side when she is freaking while I am giving birth. Fight so that one day you get to hold my pups in your arms.”

Tears started pooling in Anya’s eyes. “Don’t let what you are feeling control you. You are stronger than this, General. This is just another battle, and you will win, but only if you fight.”

The alpha fell to her knees. “I…I can’t. It hurts to fight.”

Clarke knelt too so that she was eye level with her friend. “I know. I know it does, but if you give up, and you let it win, you will lose everything. Do not allow yourself to be lost, Anya. Hold on. Hold on for yourself. Hold on for me and hold on for her.” Clarke pointed at Raven, and the beta sat down next to the blonde. She was still crying.

“You told me you want pups with her some day. Is that still true?” Clarke asked.

Anya was struggling to form words. “It is.”

“Then fight this so that we can have those pups on day,” Raven said.

As soon as Anya lost focus on Clarke, she went ballistic. She charged the glass so hard that she left a gash in her eyebrow. It didn’t even phase the alpha that blood was dripping down her face. 

Clarke told Raven to get out of Anya’s sight. As soon as Clarke was the only person she could see, the alpha calmed, if only slightly. 

Anya howled in agony as she pulled at her hair. “I don’t want to hurt her. What’s wrong with me?”

Raven cried quietly at the back of the room.

“Help me, Clarke. Please help me.”

Everyone in the room watched the interaction between the alpha and the omega with fascination. Bill, the science guy from the Ark who had been helping the Ona Graun, finally found the file that contained the research about the new super ripas. That research heavily involved Clarke’s blood sample. The Maunon had broken it down, changed the cellular structure, and even tampered with the DNA. They used it to devolve people into mindless killers, but they also found a way to use it to make regular red blood less susceptible to the radiation in the air. It was how Cage and Dante Wallace were able to escape the Mountain, and it explained the Maunon who were able to walk around without the protective white suits. If there was a way to replicate it, it would allow the Ona Graun the freedom to move to the surface.

There was no explanation of how those that escaped resisted Clarke and Lexa’s combined dominance. That was a puzzle that would have to be solved a different day, and it may not have had anything to do with Clarke’s blood. She fervently hoped that it did not.

Clarke felt completely violated in a way she had never felt before. The experiment had not been run on her, but it had been her blood that caused this whole mess. As she looked at the broken alpha on the other side of the glass, she couldn’t help but feel it was her fault that the woman was in so much pain. It was the same for Pike and all the other ripas they had encountered. Her actions hadn’t caused their pain, but the things the Maunon had done to her blood had, and even though she knew it wasn’t, she still felt everything that was happening was her fault. She didn’t know why her nightblood was different, although she suspected it had something to do with Abby always tampering with it. It did not really matter anyway. She cursed herself for having the damned black blood.

For six days, Clarke stayed in front of the glass. For six days, Lexa came and went, trying to get her houmon to leave, encouraging her to get some rest, but Clarke refused to leave Anya’s side. The omega was the only thing that kept the blonde alpha from completely losing herself. 

So, Lexa made sure that a cot was set up in the room so that her omega could sleep, and she made sure that Clarke ate. The alpha struggled as she watched her wife help her best friend fight the effects of the drug that the Maunon had made with Clarke’s blood. 

She made sure that Clarke was warm, and she made sure to tell her that she loved her. She did everything she could for her wife and her friend. The only thing she couldn’t do was sleep in the room with Clarke. Lexa’s presence was barely tolerated, and that was only while Clarke was awake to keep Anya calm. If Clarke stepped out to relieve herself, or if she fell asleep, Anya would lose all control. The only time Anya looked at peace was when she had fully exhausted herself and fell asleep.

On that sixth day, Eric and the others finally had a breakthrough. The doctor had confidently walked in holding a syringe. It looked exactly like the one that Anya had been injected with the first time, but he assured Lexa and Clarke that this one was different. With the combined efforts of the scientists, they were able to replicate Clarke’s blood, and used that to develop a drug to counteract the effects of what had been used on Anya and Pike. 

Clarke sent up a silent prayer that it would work. She was exhausted. Over the six days, the pups had been restless, constantly moving and kicking. She was sore, and she was heartbroken. If the injection didn’t work, she didn’t know if they would be able to save Anya and Pike. 

After an hour of arguing, and posturing on Lexa’s part, it was decided Clarke would be the only one who could safely inject the drug into Anya. She was the only one who could keep the alpha calm. They waited for the alpha to fall asleep, and then they quickly opened the door. Clarke waited and let her calming pheromones waft through the air before she approached the inert alpha. With a trembling hand she moved to inject Anya’s neck, but just as she was about to stick the needle in the alpha’s unprotected skin, angry bloodshot copper eyes opened. Clarke flinched, almost dropping the syringe. Fortunately, she did not. She stepped away as the alpha launched herself up from the bed. 

Without even thinking, she filled the room with dominant pheromones. Anya wobbled on her feet, but she didn’t submit. “On your knees, alpha,” Clarke commanded.

Clarke watched as Anya fought an internal battle. The need to attack was just as strong as the need to submit. The alpha’s mouth opened in a silent scream, but she ultimately obeyed, after looking down at Clarke’s protruding belly and then back up at Clarke. Clarke had placed a protective hand on her stomach, and that is what had Anya falling to her knees and exposing her neck. There was a driving imperative in her that would not allow her to hurt the omega or her pups.

Clarke didn’t waste any time. She lunged forward. She sank the needle into Anya’s neck and depressed the plunger on the syringe. She then held Anya’s gaze, waiting to see if the new drug would work.

It was two agonizing minutes before the medicine started to work. Anya fell to her side and curled into a ball. Her entire body started to quake. Her teeth clenched, and she eventually let out an unearthly howl. Clarke had to grab the alpha’s hands so that she wouldn’t rip her own hair out. It was a tortuous process, but slowly Anya’s body started to relax. Clarke did not know how long Anya screamed, and cried, and writhed, but when it was over, it was over. The alpha twitched a few more times, and tears still leaked from her eyes, but Clarke could feel the moment the influence of the original drug was out of Anya’s system.

She crawled over to the alpha and pulled her into her. It was awkward since Anya was so much bigger than her, but in that moment, Clarke knew the alpha needed to be held, and it may have been Clarke’s new motherly instinct, but she started chirring. It was a noise she couldn’t remember ever having made before, but it calmed the alpha, and it also seemed to calm the overactive pups in her belly. Finally, after almost a week, Clarke and Anya were able to get some relief. They both fell asleep on the floor.

When Clarke woke, she was on the bed in her and Lexa’s tent. She hadn’t been aware of being moved, but she was grateful to be off the floor and out of the Mountain.

“Where’s Anya?”

Lexa came over and sat on the bed next to her. “She’s in the healer’s tent. Raven is with her.”

“How long have I been asleep?” Clarke croaked. She needed water.

“Almost seventeen hours. Anya is still sleeping.” Lexa reached over and filled a cup from a pitcher. “Here. Drink this. I’m going to send for some food.”

Clarke greedily drank from the cup then held it out for more. After she finished her second cup, she snuggled back under the furs on the bed. She beckoned Lexa to lie with her.

“You saved Anya’s life,” Lexa finally said.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You did everything, Clarke. If not for you, I think she would have lost herself.”

Clarke lifted her head and looked into Lexa’s eyes. She got distracted. “Your eyes. They’re back to normal.”

Lexa gave her a weak smile. “They are. I kind of miss the way they were.”

Clarke leaned in and kissed her wife. “Not me. I am so glad they are back to normal. The way they were, when they were black, reminded me of when you were sick. I don’t ever want to experience that again.”

Clarke wanted to get out of bed, but she was still too tired. The past six days had been more taxing than she realized. “Why do you think that Anya only responded to me? Why not Raven?”

Lexa shut her eyes while she contemplated what to say. She was as exhausted as her mate. Between dealing with the armies, sending out scouts to try and locate Nia and Dante, communicating with the ambassadors in Polis, trying to figure out if the Ona Graun would be able to come above ground, and worrying about Anya and her mate, she was barely holding it together.

“I don’t know if I can answer that, niron,” she finally replied. “We think it has something to do with your blood and being female, since what you did for Anya didn’t work for Pike. It might also have something to do with your being pregnant. If I am to be honest, we just don’t know. Eric wanted to test the pregnancy hormones in your blood, but I told him no. You don’t need any more tests being done on you or your blood.”

Clarke was relieved. She didn’t want that either. “Is Anya okay?”

“She will be…with time.”

The ordeal had taken a lot out of the powerful alpha. Physically, Anya had lost weight, and she was severely dehydrated. She was also anemic. Whatever was in the drug, it rapidly ate away at the red blood cells. It was theorized that the anemia was a way to control the ripas if they ever escaped the clutches of the Mountain. The rapid loss of blood cells would eventually kill the reaper unless they were given a steady diet of red meat. It explained the reapers bloodlust. Anya had been plagued with waking nightmares of wanting to rip into people’s throats, just so she could eat the flesh and taste the blood. When Anya explained the urge, she had broken down in tears. She admitted that she wanted nothing more than to rip apart her mate. She endlessly apologized to Raven, even though Raven assured her that there was nothing to apologize for. 

That was what Anya was struggling with now. She was trying to recover from the mental anguish of almost becoming a ripa. The things the drug had made her desire, and the pain it had caused, had exacted a toll that only Anya was privy to. Thus far she was the only person to ever come back from being turned, or almost turned in her case, into a ripa. So far, Pike hadn’t been as lucky. They were still trying to figure out a way to heal him

All Lexa knew was that between the physical and mental recovery, Anya had a hard road ahead of her. 

It was when Lexa said that Anya was refusing to eat meat, because of the images it stirred up, that Clarke finally got out of bed. Lexa tried to stop her, but Clarke needed to see her friend. The omega didn’t know much about nutrition, but she learned from her early days on the ground that protein was vital to recovery and health. If she had to, she would command Anya to eat.

She stalked over to the healer’s tent, intent on forcing food down Anya’s throat, but when she entered, she stopped in her tracks. Anya’s eyes immediately found hers. Whatever else was going on with the alpha was forgotten. She struggled to sit up, so Raven who was also still recovering from her own injury, helped her sit.

“Clarke.” The alpha held out her arms to the omega. She didn’t say anything more until Clarke was firmly wrapped in her arms.

“Thank you. Thank you for saving me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I could have gone on and on with this chapter, but I needed to get Anya out of her misery. I hope you all enjoyed it.
> 
> Thank you for reading.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a rough chapter to write. I had it ready on Wednesday, reread it, hated it and started over. I think it's because it was a stressful week at work. Anyhow, none of what is in this chapter was planned, and I think some of it was influenced by a show I started binging. There is a pregnancy scare in this chapter, but that is all it is. Everything turns out fine. I just wanted to make sure you all knew in case that is a trigger for anyone. 
> 
> Please be safe out there. I know we want life to return to normal, but it isn't yet. Where I live, it's still getting worse, and not better.

Chapter 26

Clarke was currently sandwiched between Anya and Raven on a cot too small for three people in the fisa’s tent. She had stormed in with every intention of making her mentor and friend eat, but the alpha had been so emotional and so soft with Clarke that she hadn’t had the heart to berate the woman for not eating. Instead, she had listened to the mated pair’s pleadings and gotten into the bed with them. 

She knew she was as exhausted after the ordeal in the Mountain as they were, and while Clarke didn’t have any injuries to recover from like the two of them, the tormenting situation of watching as Anya had almost turned into a ripa, and the strength it took to keep her friend calm, had depleted every bit of energy she had. Lying between the two women was helping her rebuild herself as much as she knew her presence was helping to rebuild theirs. 

“Thank you for saving me, Clarke.” Anya whispered while holding Clarke tight. 

Clarke didn’t say anything for a few minutes. It was oddly more comforting than uncomfortable being wedged between the two unbearably warm women, and she almost chuckled when she thought of how terrifying she used to find Anya. The alpha’s first appearance in her life had been nothing but traumatic, and the next couple of times she had seen Anya hadn’t been much better. She thought back to the time that Anya and Lexa had stormed into Myra’s and Costia’s house after having dealt with a group of murderous bandits. They had been covered in blood and warpaint, and it had been the most frightening experience of Clarke’s life. She had still been very new to the ground then, and if someone had told her then that she would ever be close enough to the alpha as to lie on a cot next to her, she would have thought that person mad. Now, though, the alpha was one of the closest people in her life, and she considered the alpha part of her family. 

Because of that, she was enormously disturbed and distressed that Anya was struggling, and she hoped her company brought solace to the alpha, just has it had when they were stuck in the Mountain. 

The blonde still didn’t know why her presence was the only thing that kept Anya calm as she fought the Maunon drug that almost turned her into a ripa. There were many theories, and Clarke figured that part of it had to do with her blood or her pregnancy, but she didn’t think that was all. Over the time she had been on the ground, she and Anya had developed a unique bond. It started when Anya became her fos (first), and it had only grown since then. Lexa had told Clarke many times that something about her calmed and tempered the alpha. 

Anya had always been stoic and hard-edged. She had her light moments, but she always reverted back to the battle-hardened general that she was. Since meeting Clarke, Lexa claimed that Anya had changed. The Commander told her the first time she witnessed this change in Anya was when she hugged Clarke for the first time. 

It was after their first trip to the dropship when the delinquents had just landed. Clarke had been freaking out because she had almost killed someone, and she had threatened the Council and her mother. Anya had pulled her into her tent and hashed it out with Clarke until the omega had realized that she had done exactly what was needed. When Lexa walked in, Anya was hugging Clarke. It had made Heda jealous at first because not once in the time that she had known Anya had the formidable alpha ever given Lexa a hug, not even when Lexa was her seken and she was training to become Heda. Lexa realized, however, that Clarke and Anya’s relationship was developing into something special. She had never been able to put a word to exactly what it was between Clarke and Anya, but it was something extraordinary. She told the omega this. 

It made Clarke wonder if it was the bond she shared with Anya that helped the alpha stay sane during her fight if only because, while she had been in closer proximity to Anya than Pike during those utterly draining days in the Mountain, her presence didn’t affect Pike at all. She didn’t want to diminish what Raven had with Anya. The beta was her mate after all, but there was something between the omega and Anya that was plainly different than what the alpha had with anyone else. It was different than what Clarke had with anyone else.

“I didn’t really do anything,” Clarke finally said.

“You did. I can’t explain it, but something about your presence kept me centered. It was the only thing that kept me from losing myself. If you hadn’t been there, I would be a ripa right now.” Anya’s body was wracked with a violent quake. “It would have been a fate worse than death, Clarke.” The omega tried to settle Anya’s unease by enveloping her in calming pheromones. She wasn’t sure it worked. She looked to Raven for help, but the beta was asleep.

It made her look into Anya’s copper eyes. The alpha looked tired. Both Anya and Raven seemed worse for wear, but Anya’s changes were more evident. She already had prominent cheekbones, but now she looked even more angular. It reminded Clarke why she came to the healer’s tent in the first place.

“I was told you have been refusing to eat,” Clarke accused, albeit gently.

“Your houmon needs to learn to keep her mouth shut,” the alpha grumbled, knowing it was Lexa who outed her.

“Leave her be, Clarke,” a sleepy Raven butt in. “She’s tired of everyone trying to shove food down her throat.”

“They wouldn’t keep trying if she would just eat something.” Clarke replied.

“I have eaten,” Anya protested.

“Hardly,” Raven tattled. “You ate two strawberries and one bite of stew.”

Anya started to look green around the gills. “It had…there was…I’m sorry, but the pieces of meat remind me too much of what was going through my head after those nomonjokas poisoned me.” Clarke knew that Anya was referring to wanting to rip into people’s flesh in order to quench the bloodlust she had fought so hard to resist, so she tried to comfort her friend the best she could. She let the issue drop for a few minutes.

After a while, all three women were starting to doze off when Clarke wiggled, trying to find a spot between the two mates that left more room for her growing middle. In doing so, she bumped into Anya’s pelvis. It was bony, too bony. She deliberately poked at Anya’s exposed bones.

“I shouldn’t be able to feel these. You need to eat.” Clarke griped again. She hated to press the issue, but Anya needed to eat, even if it wasn’t meat.

“I’m not hungry,” the alpha argued.

“That may be, but your body says otherwise.”

“Please, just let me rest today. I promise you that I will try to eat something tomorrow.” Clarke decided to let it drop again, but only until the morning. She knew the doctors and Raven were on it, but she was determined to help her friend recover, even if it meant searching until she found something Anya could consume without being reminded of the horrors of the Mountain.

That was a month ago, and Anya was still having trouble eating. Not only did her memories make it hard for her to eat red meat, but something about what had happened to her changed the way things tasted for her, and it was making it hard for her to stomach a lot of the foods which would help her heal. Fortunately, early on Myra came up with the idea of trying fish. It was the one fleshy food that Anya could tolerate, and the cooks in Polis were coming up with new and creative ways to serve it to the poor alpha. She also tolerated dairy, so the fisas were pushing her to drink as much milk as she could stand and to eat all the cheese and yogurt that she wanted. In the hopes of finding something else to eat, Anya had eaten some eggs. She had been violently ill for an hour. Fruits and vegetables were fine, but the alpha had a hard time tasting them.

After four weeks of steadily losing weight, Anya was finally gaining it back. Her deconditioned state didn’t stop her from being surly with her gona, and it didn’t keep her from training. She was adamant that she wasn’t going to let what happened to her change her life. She trained so hard that she was nothing but wiry muscle now. She needed to gain back some more weight, but everyone could see that she was finally on the mend. She even seemed to be enjoying eating again. Clarke had a feeling that she would probably never go back to eating meat again, but if she ate everything else, she would be fine. 

In that time, it seemed that every pound Anya lost, Clarke gained. Her stomach had expanded at an alarming rate (to her) and her feet and ankles were now so swollen that she had to have new boots made. Her doctors, Silene, Nyko, and Jackson all told her that this was normal, but Clarke felt gigantic, and it was making her irritable. She was also extremely grouchy because Lexa had been gone for the past ten days. 

Her houmon was on the hunt for Nia, Wells, and the Wallaces with Gustus, Myra, Lincoln, and Octavia. Lexa practically had an entire army with her. While the Commander was scouring above ground, she had the Ona Graun combing the tunnels. There was no sign of their enemies, and now it was likely the hunt would have to wait until spring. Lexa and the others were on their way home.

The reason was that the clans had been hit by early winter storms, and per the reports from the scouts, Azgeda had been hit the hardest. Everyone was fairly convinced that the Ice Queen was sheltering her new friends somewhere in the Azgeda capital of Tor. Even in summer it was difficult to get to the capitol, although this was by Nia’s design, and now that the storms had started, it wouldn’t be safe to go to Tor until things started to thaw in the spring. After hearing this, Clarke was so pissed that she had gone and beaten the stuffing out of a practice dummy until she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. She had gone sprinting…waddling…to Jackson in her fear that something was wrong. He was concerned and did an ultrasound only to find that everything was fine. He did forbid the Queen from any further training or fighting until after the pups were born. He didn’t want Clarke to risk injuring herself.

Clarke bristled at being given the command, but she agreed to obey. She didn’t want to do anything that would harm her pups. She spent the rest of her time waiting for Lexa to return, visiting with Titus, and spending her evenings with either Raven and Anya or Echo and Costia. 

Costia had just recently moved into the Tower with Echo. As Clarke’s official Guard, Echo would always have a place in the tower, and the alpha had convinced Costia that the rooms she was given were just too big for one person. With Gustus living with Myra in their home, Costia knew it was the right time to move out. She wanted her nomon to be able to enjoy her time with her houmon. Costia admitted that part of the reason she had never moved out was because she didn’t want Myra to be alone. Now that the older omega had Gustus, Costia no longer had to worry about this. 

Clarke and Raven had burst out laughing when they heard this and teased the younger omega endlessly saying it was the other way around. They started calling Costia ‘nomon’s girl.’ If not for Clarke being pregnant and Raven still recovering from being shot, the omega Queen was certain that Costia would have tackled one of them to the ground. Echo and Anya just sat back and watched as the omegas and lone beta teased each other. 

It was a cold morning that found Echo, Anya, and Clarke fishing in a stream just outside of Polis. There was snow on the ground, but the stream hadn’t iced over yet. Normally, they would be spear fishing, but Raven had taught them a new way to fish with hooks and thin string on a pole. It was something the beta had read about, and since Anya would now only eat fish as her primary source of protein, her houmon had been determined to find a way to make it easier to catch the buggers. It was a bonus that they didn’t have to get their feet wet in the cold water. The mechanic had fashioned a fishing reel and rod, and Anya was trying it out for the first time. The beta wasn’t with them. She didn’t do well in the cold. It made her leg ache too much and she had only recently gotten off her crutches. Raven was spending the day with Monty and Jasper trying to figure out a way to streamline their distilling process. Clarke was happy to be away from Polis, because if Raven was near the little distillery, Clarke wanted to be as far away as possible. She was certain Raven was going to make something go boom.

The three companions were sitting on a rock that they had covered with a few blankets to keep from getting cold. Clarke had extra clothing on to protect her pups from the chill wind. Anya had her new fancy rod, while the omega and Echo had sticks with strings attached to them. It was no surprise that Anya caught the most fish. It didn’t matter to Clarke though. She was happy to have her mind occupied from thinking about Lexa. During the ten days of Lexa’s absence, Clarke had gotten more and more agitated. She desperately wanted her houmon to come home.

It was just before the three had gotten on their horses to go fishing that the blonde had received word that her wife would be returning home later in the evening. Since that time, every minute had felt like an hour, and she was using the fishing trip as a way to distract herself. She was also hoping to have enough fish to cook for wife. Over the past month, with trying to get Anya back up to par, she had gotten exceptionally good at cooking fish. It was something she enjoyed, and although the cooks in the tower tried to dissuade her, since it was their job to cook for the Queen, she insisted. She told them that she needed to learn how to provide for her family this way, and Anya was family.

Costia, who already was a good cook, often messed up the kitchens with her while she practiced her culinary skills. One good thing about being Queen was she never had to clean up her own mess.

Clarke was just pulling a rather large fish from the water when she felt another ripping pain in her abdomen. This one was lower and sharper and radiated to her back. She almost fell off the rock.

“Clarke,” Echo yelled. She steadied her Queen and kept her from tumbling to the ground while Anya instinctively caught the fish and Clarke’s pole.

“Something’s wrong,” Clarke screeched, wrapping her hands under her protuberant belly.

Anya was yelling at one of the guards to go and get a wagon so that they could get Clarke back to the Tower. “Make sure one of the fisas is with you when you return. Hurry.”

The two alphas helped the blonde off the rock and laid her on the blankets. Anya went to remove her cloak and cover the Queen, but Clarke didn’t let her. She mumbled something about Anya being “too damn skinny” to be giving up her cloak.

The omega curled on her side, cluching at her stomach. She was trembling. She was in tremendous pain, but it was her fear of losing the pups which had her shaking. “Lexa. I need Lexa.”

“I’ll get her for you.” Anya leaned down and squeezed Clarke’s shoulder. There was a wild fear in the alpha’s eyes. “This is just another bump in the road,” Anya tried to reassure. “You are strong, and you and the pups are going to be fine. Just hang in there.”

Anya gave a look to Echo then got on her horse. The horse sped away so fast it was kicking up ice and slush.

Raven was sitting in the bedroom where Clarke was finally sleeping. The omega was clenching her small, stuffed raccoon to her chest. A battery of tests had been performed on the omega, and it was found that she had a small placental tear. Clarke and the pups were just fine, but Clarke was going to have to significantly decrease her activity. She hadn’t been placed on full bedrest, but she would be confined to their quarters until the pups were born. Clarke had been so distraught thinking that she had done something to risk her babes that she hadn’t argued with the doctors. Her distress had been so high that Silene had finally force the Queen to drink a tea to make her drowsy.

The dozing beta almost fell out of her chair when Clarke shot up in the bed, gasping. The omega frantically moved her hands over her baby bump. “I th-thought I lost them. Lexa would hate me if I lost them.” Clarke’s blue eyes were unfocused as she tried to shake off her dream.

Raven moved to sit next to Clarke on the bed. “Oh, honey, she could never hate you. You know better than that, and your pups are fine. Everything is okay.” She wiped the tears from Clarke’s cheeks. “Come here.” She pulled the stressed omega into her arms and let her cry. 

“Sh. You’re okay. Everything is okay.,” Clarke clutched her tighter, “and just think now you have an excuse not to go outside in this crappy, cold weather.”

Clarke gave her a small chuckle then lifted her head. “Thanks, Rae.” She looked out the window and saw that it was still light, but it had started to snow. “Do you think Lexa will be here soon?”

“I think that Anya has ridden as fast as she can to get to her, and once the Commander hears you need her, she won’t stop until she’s holding you in her arms.”

The door opened, and Clarke started to get up, thinking it was Lexa, but it was Costia. She was carrying a tray of food. She set it on the table before walking over to the bed. She sat in the chair Raven had vacated.

“You gave us one hell of a scare today.” She leaned in and kissed Clarke on the forehead. “I’m so glad you and the pups are okay.”

“Me too.” Clarke was still haunted by the experience. 

Costia tried to lighten the mood. “Echo brough home that fish you caught. It was the biggest one in the pail. I hope you don’t mind, I cooked it for you. I tried something new with it.”

Clarke didn’t have much of an appetite, but she knew she needed to eat, if only for the pups. She got out of bed and Raven helped her put on a robe. After all the tests the doctors had done, she hadn’t felt like dressing again, so she was in one of Lexa’s long sleep shirts. The scent of her alpha had reassured her as she started to feel the effects of Silene’s tea.

The three women ate together, making sure to save Lexa a large portion of the meal. Clarke was certain Lexa was going to be hungry when she got home. 

She wasn’t wrong. Costia and Raven had only just taken their leave when the alpha stormed through the door. The alpha must have run up the stairs because she was panting, and the snow hadn’t finished melting in her hair.

“Clarke.” Lexa swept the omega into her arms as she cried tears of relief at seeing her wife safe and whole. “The fisa was waiting when I arrived. He told me you are okay.”

“I am, but I was so scared.” Clarke thought of all the times she had been afraid in her life, and she could honestly say the thought of losing her children before they were even born was the most frightening experience of her life. “I’m so glad you are home.”

Lexa nestled her head into Clarke’s neck, taking in the blonde’s comforting scent. While laced with her earlier distress, it was still all Clarke. It had not changed. If something had truly happened, Lexa knew that her mate’s scent would reflect that. 

“I promise you that I won’t leave you again. Not even to look for Nia.”

Clarke didn’t say anything. She knew after this scare she was going to be hard-pressed to get her alpha to leave her side, not that she wanted it any other way. With the stress of the past few months, Clarke was looking forward to a winter spent indoors. Nia and the others could wait. She knew their enemies were probably plotting ways to ruin Lexa and her Coalition, but they were plotting too, and Clarke knew without a doubt that they would come out on top in the end.

“I saved you some food. I know you must be hungry.”

Lexa smiled appreciatively. “Thank you for thinking of me.”

Clarke tipped her head up and kissed her alpha. “I am always thinking of you.”

She led Lexa to the table. She had carefully balanced the plate of food on two bookends and placed a lit candle underneath it to keep it warm. She knew she could have sent it to the kitchen to keep warm, but she wanted it available as soon as Lexa wanted it. 

Lexa took one look at the setup and laughed. “That is rather inventive, ai houmon. Raven is wearing off on you.”

“Don’t laugh,” Clarke pouted. “I know you eat just about anything, but even I know you don’t want cold fish.”

Lexa sheepishly agreed. “Anya told me about your fish. She said it was huge. It’s probably what caused the tear.”

Clarke looked down. “That’s what the doctors said.”

Lexa put down the plate that she was removing from the bookends. She used a finger to tip Clarke’s head back up.

“You didn’t do anything wrong Clarke. These things happen. Pregnancies are tricky things and each one is different. Some women work up until the day they give birth. Others have complications from the beginning. We were lucky that we made it this far without any difficulties, and I am so thankful that you are okay.” Lexa sat but didn’t immediately start to eat. “The whole way home all I could think about was the pain you were in.”

She placed her hand on the exact spot that had hurt on Clarke. “I could feel it, you know. It wasn’t a pain exactly, but I felt an ache. I knew something had happened long before Anya got to me.” She picked up her fork but put it down again. “I was so worried. I couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to you or the pups.”

Clarke moved to sit on Lexa’s lap. The alpha easily held her wife in place. “We are all okay now.” Clarke said. “All three of us.” She grabbed Lexa’s hand and placed it over a spot where one of the pups was kicking.

Lexa smiled and started to purr. She couldn’t help it. Her relief and happiness that everything had turned out okay had her overjoyed. She continued to run her hand over Clarke’s body.

“Stop getting distracted,” Clarke chided. “Eat.”

Lexa finally did and shoveled it in so fast that her plate was pushed aside, and she was swinging Clarke up bridal-style to carry her to bed in seven minutes flat. She gently placed her on the mattress. She then pushed up the sleep shirt Clarke was wearing and scattered kisses along the omega’s skin. She was getting Clarke worked up.

The alpha was about to dip her head lower when Clarke stopped her. “Wait, Lex, wait.”

“Clarke, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Trust me, I don’t want to stop, but the doctors all agreed that for the safety of the pups we can’t…well, we shouldn’t have sex.”

Lexa flopped over on the bed and gave an exaggerated sigh. “Now you tell me.” The alpha turned on her side and gazed at her wife. “I don’t know how I am going to be able to keep my hands off you niron.”

“You are going to have to try, although I will admit that I don’t know how I will keep mine off you either.”

Lexa’s hand snaked out and slowly lifted the hem of Clarke’s shirt again. She placed two flat palms on Clarke’s exposed skin and looked into Clarke’s eyes. “You had me so scared.” She held her omega close to her for several minutes.

“I know, and I am sorry. I was scared too,” Clarke admitted. “I know by the end of the week I am going to be going insane not being allowed to leave our rooms, but I am not willing to take any more risks. You may need to get me some more art supplies. I have a feeling I am going to be very bored.”

“I will go to the market in the morning. If you want, I can have Harper come and visit. She should be giving birth any day now. I’m sure she would love to spend some time with you. Octavia also wants to visit. I have a feeling she has caught baby fever, oh, and the gona are now betting on who will get pregnant first, Raven or Octavia.”

“Put a few coins on Raven for me,” Clarke said. “She’s always going on about how she’s too busy to be a mother, but I see the way she looks at children running around the market. She won’t admit it, but I know that she wants one or two of her own, and I know Anya wants a pup.”

“Spirits help us when they have a child.” She pulled Clarke as close to her side as she could. “Between Anya and Raven the poor thing will either be wielding a sword by the time it is one, or it will be blowing things up.”

Clarke leaned in for a kiss. “Or, it will be wielding a sword that blows up in the faces of the enemies.”

“That could be a handy tool in a fight,” Lexa said seriously.

“Stop. I was teasing.”

“I know, niron. Let’s get some rest. You have a busy week of doing nothing ahead of you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew. Anya and Clarke are okay, and since we all have to stay inside, our gang should too. Winter has given Nia and the others a reprieve, but don't think that it will last for long, Come spring, Lexa and Clarke are going to be ready. Death is coming for Nia, and it rides a pale horse named Steltrona.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stork has finally arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so excited for this chapter. I hope you all like it as much as I do.
> 
> Happy reading.

Chapter 27

“Push, niron, you are doing great.”

Clarke was lying on the bed panting, sweat covering her body. She had started having contractions over twenty hours ago.

“No, it’s too early. They aren’t supposed to be coming yet,” Clarke whimpered. Clarke was terrified, and the pain was nearly unbearable. 

Two months had gone by, and she hadn’t left their quarters, not even once, and she had felt like she was slowly going insane. Lexa had stayed with her as often as possible, but the alpha still had the Coalition to run despite the fact that it had been a particularly brutal winter so far and life had grinded to a halt. Her friends all visited frequently, and Myra and Costia were an almost constant presence, but it didn’t help the feeling that the world was closing in on her.

It hadn’t been too bad the first couple of weeks, but as the days wore on she began to feel restless and antsy causing her nesting instinct to kick into high gear. Every day she found herself gathering blankets, furs, and anything else that smelled like her and Lexa, and she would bring them into the room that was going to serve as the nursery. She would mound them into a pile, and invariably find herself buried in it, thinking of her pups and Lexa. More than once Lexa found her this way after coming back from a meeting. The alpha also found Clarke in her nest each morning. Not liking waking up alone every day, the two of them had started sleeping together in the nest. That Lexa was willing to sacrifice their comfortable bed to lie with her in a haphazard pile of furs and blankets just to be near her wife brought Clarke a deep sense of solace.

After a couple more weeks of being confined, the restlessness that Clarke had been feeling regressed into agitation and anger. She began snapping at everyone. More than once she cursed at Lexa for getting her pregnant only to dissolve into tears and apologize for having yelled at her beloved houmon. She was an emotional mess. She frequently vocalized her wish that she could just be done with the ‘damned pregnancy and have the pups already,’ and now she felt like she was being punished because they were arriving weeks too early.

“This is all my fault,” Clarke cried.

“Ai hodnes, it’s not. The fisas have all said the pups are healthy. They wouldn’t be coming if it wasn’t time.”

“That’s not true. It’s too early and it’s all my fault.”

Lexa didn’t know what to do to calm her wife. The past two months had been trying for the two of them. The alpha had felt helpless to ease her wife’s suffering, and the past seven days had been especially hard and worrisome. 

Try as she might, there had been no placating Clarke. Everything Lexa had tried to do to pacify the omega had been met with a fight. Clarke would then either sulk or cry uncontrollably. At least twice when it had gotten so bad, Lexa had locked herself in the bathroom to cry after Clarke had fallen asleep. 

The alpha felt like she was being a terrible mate. She didn’t know how to help her wife. Several times she had gone to visit her nomon, and Myra assured her that this wasn’t uncommon behavior. The alpha just needed to ride it out and support her wife in any way she could. 

“Just be there for her,” Myra had advised. “That might be all you can do.” She paused, then added, “If she needs you to be her punching bag, then be her punching bag. If she needs to hold you for more hours than you have time to give, you cancel everything and let her hold you.”

Myra hugged her daughter to her. “I can speak from experience that it is a terrifying thing to come to the end of one’s pregnancy. With you, I was especially scared since you were my first. I was so worried that I would do something wrong, or that I would somehow harm you. I grew up knowing about babies and pregnancies, and I was still scared, so think of how Clarke must feel. What they did up on the Ark was unnatural, and she has never witnessed someone else going through this. She is acting out because she is scared, and she is uncomfortable.”

“I know, nomon, I just wish I could do more for her.”

“Just love her and do whatever she asks of you. That’s all you can do.” Myra tried to ease the fears of her normally unflappable daughter.

“Some of the things she has said…they’ve hurt my feelings,” Lexa admitted with some reluctance.

Myra squeezed Lexa so tight that she squeaked. “Oh, my beautiful daughter. Just know she doesn’t mean it. I said terribly hurtful things to your nontu (father). It was like I was crazed, and the angry words just came out. I didn’t mean a single one of them. Just think how out of control you would be if you were carrying two pups and forced to stay in your room for months.” She gently moved her daughter so she could look at her. She wiped away a solitary tear before it could fall from Lexa’s eye.

“Just remember that she loves you, and when all of this is over, you are going to have a family. It may be hard now, but it’s going to be the best thing to ever happen to you, just like you and Costia, and now Clarke, are the best thing to happen to me.”

Lexa took in two shuddering breaths then willed herself to calm down. “Thank you, nomon.”

“I will come up later and see if I can do anything to help.”

Clarke screamed and crushed Lexa’s hand so hard the alpha thought it might break. 

“Push, Clarke,” one of the three doctors present yell. “You need to push.”

Red puffy eyes stared daggers at the fisas, but she finally did as she was told. “Hodnes, you are doing great. Ai hod yu in,” Lexa said through gritted teeth. The grip on her hand had not been released. Lexa almost dissolved into a blubbering mess when Clarke told her she loved her too. 

“I can see the head,” Silene said.

“Keep going, my beautiful, strong Queen,” Lexa said trying to encourage her exhausted houmon.

It seemed like several more hours of pushing and screaming and crying, but for all Lexa knew, it was only minutes. A collective sigh of relief filled the air when Clarke gave one final push and the first pup came screaming into the world.

Lexa had tears streaming down her face as a tiny blonde-headed boy was placed in her arms. He was wiggling and wailing, and Lexa couldn’t have been prouder. When the pup’s giant blue eyes finally popped open and focused on his sire, he instantly calmed. 

“Hello there, little man.” The proud alpha swaddled her boy, gave him a kiss on the head, and handed the small bundle to Clarke who was holding up trembling arms so she could hold her pup. He was a perfect tiny omega.

The blonde also had tears streaming down her face, but finally, after all these weeks, they were tears of joy.

“He looks just like you, niron.” Lexa was elated that their child looked like her houmon. She had been dreaming of a blonde-haired blue-eyed pup.

“H-he’s perfect,” Clarke gasped. She was so tired. She held her son close, and she wanted to close her eyes, but every time she did, one of the doctors woke her up. Her job wasn’t finished yet. She quickly passed the pup back to Lexa when she felt the next contraction coming.

This time, the pup came more easily. It was just slightly bigger than the first pup. “You have an alpha girl,” Jackson beamed as he held up the small child before carefully giving her to Lexa. 

This pup looked more like Lexa. She had a shocking amount of brown hair, and when Lexa looked into her eyes the alpha gasped. 

Clarke was instantly on alert thinking something was wrong with the tiny girl. “What’s wrong? What’s the matter with her? Give her to me.”

“Nothing is wrong, niron,” Lexa promised. “She’s okay, look.” She handed over the bundle in her arms so that Clarke could hold her little girl. Pleasant shock passed over her features. 

“Her eyes are different colors,” Clarke observed, voice filled with wonder. One eye was green, and the other was blue. Every person in the room smiled. “You just had to be different, strik gada (little girl), didn’t you, my little alpha?” 

Lexa brought over their other pup when Clarke signaled that she wanted to hold him too.

“Welcome to the world Madilyn and Alexander kom Trikru,” the proud sire announced.

After positioning the pups so that they could nurse, Clarke promptly fell asleep. Lexa smiled down at her wife and kissed her sweat-slick forehead. After several tumultuous weeks, the omega finally looked happy and at peace. Lexa turned and couldn’t help the goofy grin that split her face. She was officially a nomi (mom).

After several rounds of congratulations, Lexa was finally alone with her little family. She too was exhausted, but she didn’t allow herself to sleep. She got a warm basin of water and began to meticulously clean her wife’s face and body, making sure not to disturb Clarke or the pups, all three of whom were now sleeping. 

She bent forward and rested her forehead on Clarke’s. “Ai hod yu in, ai Haiplana. You are the very best thing to ever happen to me.”

She settled herself into the chair next to the bed. She kept a hold of one of Clarke’s hands and smiled when she heard her wife start to purr. Whatever else was going on in the world didn’t matter. The earth could be shattering around her, and it wouldn’t mar the feeling of elation filling her body. Pretty soon she was purring too.

Several hours later, Myra and Costia padded in to see how the new family was doing. Myra had been present for the births, but Costia had not.

Lexa was still in her chair and the family of four was sleeping. Costia moved to wake Lexa, but Myra stopped her. 

“Let her sleep for a few more minutes and help me set up the table. Neither one of them has slept in over a day. Besides, you know how new alphas can be when they have pups. If you wake her suddenly, she might attack. She’s going to be overprotective for the next few weeks.”

“Is that even possible?” Costia asked. “She’s been overprotective for months.”

Myra chuckled. “Trust me. This will be worse.”

“Great,” Costia said. “I can’t wait.”

Lexa walked into the room looking bleary-eyed. She was growling menacingly already, so menacingly in fact that Costia took an unconscious step to stand behind her nomon. Myra just gave her older daughter a radiant smile. She held out her arms inviting the grumpy alpha in for a hug.

“Don’t growl at your sister, ai strik alpha (my little alpha).”

“You almost woke up Clarke and the pups.” Lexa lifted her lip in a sneer.

Costia popped her head out from behind Myra’s shoulder. “I did not.”

Myra turned to Costia. “Stop agitating your sister. She’s a new nomi, and she’s tired and hungry. If she wants to be all growly, let her be all growly.”

She then gave Lexa a soft look. “Come eat something. I know you’re hungry.”

Lexa looked back to the room she had left her family sleeping in. Clarke was on her back and she had a pup tucked in on either side of her. The blonde hadn’t stirred even once since she had fallen asleep. She looked peaceful and relaxed. Lexa longed to go back to them, but she was hungry, and she would be of no use when the omega woke up if she didn’t eat and keep her energy up.

The alpha sat and ate from the plate that Myra handed to her without giving any attention to what was on it. She just shoveled the food into her mouth and watched as Costia kept trying to sneak peaks into the room where Clarke was sleeping. She had to hold back the growl that was building in the back of her throat and kept telling herself it was just her protective instincts kicking in and that Costia was no threat to her wife or children. Costia was simply eager to meet the pups. When little Alexander started to wiggle out of his swaddle, Lexa rose and gently lifted him into her arms. Clarke started to stir, and Lexa quickly placed her stuffed racoon in the spot vacated by the tiny omega, and the new nomon settled again.

She walked back out to where her sister and mother waited for her, and she could see that Costia was practically vibrating in her excitement to hold her new nephew. She wanted to let her sister have a turn, but she wasn’t quite ready for that yet. She was too lost looking into bright blue eyes that exactly matched his nomon’s. 

She slowly paced the room and bounced the content baby in her arms. When she finally sat with him, she inspected each finger and toe, marveling at just how small his finger and toenails were. He was perfect in every single way.

After several minutes she finally looked up from gazing at her son. She knew that Costia was fit to burst and finally allowed Costia to hold him.

The younger omega cooed and made funny faces as she bounced the boy in her lap. “Hi, Alex. I am your Auntie Costia.”

“Don’t bounce him so hard,” Lexa growled.

Myra reached over and placed a hand on the alpha’s leg. “He’s fine, Lexa. You know your sister would never harm him.”

She looked at Costia who had ignored her. “I know. I’m sorry…I’m trying.”

“You’re going to have to try harder. You’re able to keep yourself in check because we are family, but as soon as someone like Anya or Echo walks in you are going to see them as a threat no matter how hard you try. It won’t be so bad with Raven since she is a beta.”

Lexa groaned. It was a known fact that new alpha mothers were very on edge and protective of their pups and mate when they were first born. They were especially protective in the presence of other alphas. She was already struggling with letting her sister see the baby. What was she going to do when someone else wanted to hold one of them?

Myra seemed to read her thoughts. “All that training you got before becoming Commander is going to come in handy. You’re going to need to learn to control your natural instincts to protect and remember that no one here wants to harm Clarke or your pups.”

“I know, nomon.” She made a note to set aside time to mediate each day thinking it would help calm her inner alpha.

She heard noise coming from the room again and stood up. Clarke was sitting up in the bed, and Madilyn was nursing. Clarke gave her a tired but glowing smile. The alpha walked over and pushed a sweaty piece of hair from Clarke’s face. She then leaned in to delicately kiss her on dry and cracked lips.

“Are you alright, niron?”

“I’m still tired. Where’s Alexander?” Her blue eyes frantically searched the room.

“Your beautiful angel is right here.” Costia walked in and handed Alexander over to his nomon without hesitation. He immediately started rooting and Clarke placed him so that he could nurse too. She purred as both her pups fed. 

Lexa ran to the other room and grabbed Clarke a cup of juice. She could see that Clarke was thirsty and wanted her to have something more fortifying than water. The omega quickly downed the cup and gestured for another. Lexa went to get it while Myra fixed Clarke a plate of food that Lexa helped her eat since she was still juggling the two pups at her breasts.

When she was finished, she looked at Lexa with complete and utter love and devotion. Lexa looked back at her exactly the same way.

“You two are so damned cute, it’s gross,” Costia teased. “You see it, nomon? That is what Raven means when she says they have heart eyes.”

“I see it.” Myra smiled and pulled Costia from the room. “Let’s leave them to their rest. You can see them again tomorrow.”

“But, nomon, I didn’t get to hold Madi yet.” Costia was already shortening the names of the pups, but Lexa surprisingly didn’t mind.

“Costia can hold her tomorrow, right Lexa?” Myra prodded.

Lexa nodded absently without taking her gaze off Clarke. “Yeah, yeah. That’s fine.”

When she heard the door close, Lexa broke her gaze and quickly ran to move the cribs next to their bed. She knew that tonight was not the night to try and have their pups sleep in the nursery. She had a feeling that it would be a few days, and even then, she had no doubt that they would be sleeping back in Clarke’s nest. She would rather have the cribs in their room if it meant Clarke stayed in their bed as she recovered.

Clarke watched as Lexa ran from the room only to return with the cribs. She was grateful that Lexa had the forethought to bring them into their room because aside from getting up to relieve herself, Clarke didn’t want to move from the bed.

Lexa fussed and piddled around the room to make sure everything was perfect for her houmon before Clarke beckoned her to get in the bed with her and the pups. The omega couldn’t help but laugh as the alpha got into the bed with exceedingly slow and careful movements.

Once she was long-sitting next to her wife, Clarke had Lexa hold Madi while she held Alex. So far both pups had been mostly quiet. They both knew this wouldn’t last and decided to bask in quietude for as long as they could.

“They are so small,” Clarke said as she worried at her lip.

“They are, but all three fisas said that they are perfectly healthy despite being a few weeks early.”

The omega leaned in to take in a deep breath of the sweet new baby smell coming off her boy. Lexa did the same with Madi. 

“They smell different yet the same,” Lexa observed. “Does that make sense?”

“It does. I guess it has something to do with their presentations.”

“Maybe. I wouldn’t have thought there would be a difference this early.” Lexa was thinking that she should have listened better when Myra and some others were giving them tips on being new parents.

Clarke nuzzled the pup in her arms when his little fist went reaching out. She placed his hand around her pinky finger. “I just can’t get over the size of them. He makes my finger look huge.” Her finger did look huge in his hand. Lexa had always loved holding Clarke’s hands up to hers and comparing the size. Next to hers, the omega’s hands were downright petite. Lexa just smiled and watched as Clarke interacted with their son.

Clarke didn’t look up when she asked, “Do you think they are both natblidas?”

Lexa had had this discussion with Jackson. “Most likely so. He gave some long and complicated explanation about something called recessive and dominant genes that I didn’t understand, but yes, they probably are.”

Madilyn stirred in her arms and Lexa moved the babe so that she was sitting up, and in the cutest baby voice Clarke had ever heard, the alpha said, “but we don’t have to find that out for a very, very long time, do we, ai alpha?”

“Hey, Lex,” Clarke said, getting her houmon’s attention. When Lexa looked up from cuddling their daughter, tears started to leak from Clarke’s eyes again. “I am so, so sorry for all the terrible things I said to you. I hope you know I didn’t mean them.”

“Oh, Clarke, please don’t cry. I know that.”

“Do you forgive me?”

Lexa brushed the tears from the omega’s cheeks. “There is nothing to forgive, ai homon. Ai hod yu in.”

“I love you too, Lex. Please don’t ever forget that…even when I am being an ass.”

Lexa snickered, but then got serious. “I know you said all those things out of fear, restlessness, and discomfort.” She remembered what Myra had told her and added, “If I had been in your shoes, I probably would have behaved worse. I will always love you, Clarke.”

It was two weeks later when Clarke finally agreed to leave their quarters. After all the grousing and grumbling she had done while forced to stay put, Clarke had no desire to leave the safe confines after the pups were born. She had allowed visitors, and let everyone hold the pups, but she hadn’t had a desire to go anywhere. 

As predicted, Lexa had been almost out of control when their first visitors arrived. It was Raven and Anya, and Lexa had tackled the older alpha to the ground when she thought that Anya was the reason Madi was crying. It took Clarke, Myra, and Costia pumping out soothing pheromones to calm her down. Fortunately, the General quickly forgave the Commander. She even teased that she expected that it wouldn’t be the only time that Lexa would attack her.

Echo also hadn’t fared well. She found herself pinned under Heda when Lexa thought she was being sarcastic when she said the pups were cute. This time it was Costia who put Lexa back in her place. She had physically pulled Lexa off Echo and yelled at her for a solid five minutes. Myra and Clarke had had to intervene, but Costia didn’t settle down until Echo told her that it was okay and that she understood Lexa’s behavior. 

Both times, Lexa had apologized profusely to her friends, and felt lucky that they were willing to forgive her. She tried, she really did, to control her instincts, but in those two instances, her instincts had controlled her. She had spent several hours meditating after those occurrences and was able to control herself after that.

The first time Clarke agreed to finally step outside of their room was when the pups had to be formally introduced to the ambassadors of the Clans, and to Gaia and Titus. Clarke and Lexa would have been fine with the two latter people coming to visit them, but Titus and Gaia had wanted to give the family time to settle. The Queen and Commander were grateful for this.

When the pups were introduced to the people of Polis, it had been different. Just as Clarke had been introduced, so were the pups. They were on one of the lower balconies of the tower, where both Titus and Gaia spoke. Lexa held Alex, and Clarke held Madi. When they lifted them above their heads to show them to the world, Polis exploded in applause and cheers. Behind them, Raven could be heard cackling like an overexcited hyena. 

She was gasping for breath and laughing. She smacked Anya’s shoulder. “It’s just like when Mufasa introduced Simba in the Lion King.” Anya had to pull the tickled beta back into the tower lest she get decimated by the new nomon and nomi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think of this chapter. I enjoyed writing it more than most of the others.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was an unexpectedly busy weekend, so this is getting out later than I had hoped. I hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> Happy reading.

Chapter 28

“They are still so boring,” Raven whined. “When are they going to be able to do something?”

“Raven, they’re babies.” Octavia slapped the beta up the back of the head. “They aren’t supposed to do anything but be cute.” The girl from under the floor was downright fascinated with Clarke and Lexa’s pups, and she spent as much time with them as the leaders would allow. She had almost become a nanny of sorts, and it allowed for Lexa and Clarke to have a few hours of alone time each day if they wanted it, which wasn’t often because the new parents were so enamored with their new pups they rarely left their sides. 

The pups were three months old, and winter was just starting to release its hold on the world. Because the winter season had been so brutal, most official business had been pared down to once per week meetings. It had also been so cold that the tower was being used as a shelter of sorts for residents of Polis and the nearby villages who didn’t have adequate shelter to stay warm. 

“At least little Alex has found his hands,” Raven said as she cooed at the tiny omega boy. As much as she fussed that the babies didn’t do anything exciting, she had a particular attachment to the blue-eyed pup. “That’s right, little man, suck on those hands.” The tiny omega was trying to fit his whole hand in his mouth. “Those hands are going to do great things, and as soon as you are able, I’m going to show you how to use a hammer.”

Lexa sent Raven a playful growl before she moved to pick the pup up. She held him up in the air and spun him around. He giggled and smiled and the leader of the 12 clans almost choked she was so happy. Both pups had just recently started making noises that were something aside from crying. There were coos, and oohs and ahs. They had both also recently found their hands and had a particular fascination with them. Lexa timed it once, and Madi had stared at her wiggling fingers and hand for thirty-seven minutes. 

Each day the pups were able to do a little more, and while Lexa had assumed that because she was an alpha that Madi would be the one to hit each milestone first, Alex beat her to the punch each time. Madi always lagged a day or two behind. Clarke had barked at Lexa when she told the omega what she thought.

“Just because he’s an omega doesn’t mean he is slow. Presentation has no bearing on how they will develop. You would know this if you would ever pay attention to what the doctors have to say.”

Lexa spent a solid half hour apologizing and groveling to her affronted wife. She did try to pay attention to what the doctors said, but she was just too enraptured by her pups to absorb the information.

The only time Madi had beaten Alex in something was looking their nomon in the eyes for the first time. It happened a few days ago. Clarke had been playing with the pups on the floor and had them both on their tummies. Dr. Jackson had told the new moms how important tummy time was for strengthening and development. She had been cooing at the pups, trying to get their attention when Madi lifted her head and looked directly in Clarke’s eyes. It was the first time one of the pups had made real eye contact. The omega nomon had been so overcome she burst into tears of joy. Lexa had come running in, thinking something was wrong, but after Clarke explained what happened, Lexa started cooing at her children. The alpha almost gave up hope that she would get the same reaction, but Madi finally made eye contact and Lexa had shed more tears than Clarke. 

Two days later, Alex was doing it too. Myra, Costia, and Echo had been visiting at the time. Myra jumped up and ran to the bathroom surprising everyone. She came back with hand-held mirror and held it up to each pup. Alex didn’t really react, but Madi stared at herself for five minutes before Myra finally put the mirror down.

“Just as I suspected. Your alpha is just as vain as you were at that age.” She teased Lexa. “I used to have full-length mirror in the main room of the farmhouse we lived in. I could place Lexa in front of it and she would be entertained with her own reflection for hours. She would stare into her own eyes as if she were having important conversations with herself. Even then she was already so serious.”

Everyone got a good chuckle out of that. Lexa was not one who could be accused of being vain anymore, but as Commander, she did take pride in how she looked. So what if she fussed over her warpaint for an hour at a time?

Raven and Octavia were just about to take their leave when Anya and Echo entered. Echo, at Clarke’s behest, had been given a rare day off, but the ever-loyal alpha had taken a patrol shift so that one of the guards who also had a new pup could go spend time with his family. Costia had wanted to be mad, but how could she when the action was so selfless?

Both alphas were in their customary uniforms and wore serious faces. 

“What’s wrong?” Lexa asked immediately. She stood and went over to where they stood. Anya was holding a delicate white and blue box.

“This came for you from Azgeda,” Anya announced. Lexa looked to Echo who confirmed it was true.

“A messenger from Azplana came today. He said it was a gift from his Queen.”

“How the hell did he get through all the ice and snow?” Octavia wondered. “It must have taken him weeks.”

“I’m sure it did,” Echo agreed. “It’s nearly killed him. He is with a fisa now.”

Lexa growled. Clarke moved nervously to her side. “What’s in the box?” The omega wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

“Gifts for the pups,” Anya announced. She kept her copper eyes on the ground, and this made Clarke even more nervous. Whatever was in the box was nothing good.

Lexa moved to open it, but Echo stopped her. “Please allow me, Heda.” 

Lexa nodded her head and Echo lifted the lid to the box. At first glance, the gift seemed harmless. Inside were two metal rattles, beautifully crafted with what appeared to be depictions of different areas of the Coalition on them. Lexa went to lift one but Echo again stopped her. “Careful, Heda. Look at the handles.”

The Commander lifted the rattle by the bulbous end. The handle was long and wickedly sharp. She carefully ran her thumb over the edge. It easily sliced into her flesh. It took all her control to keep from roaring and upsetting the pups. Instead she spewed out every curse word she knew.

She began to pace the room muttering how she would kill the Ice bitch. Clarke and Octavia ran back to the pups. They were beginning to get agitated from the pheromones Lexa was unconsciously exuding. 

“Lex,” Clarke implored. She had Alex in her arms. “Lex, you need to stop.” Wee Alex was about to burst into tears when Lexa finally looked at her wife and son. She instantly sobered.

“I’m so sorry, strikon (little one). I didn’t mean to upset you or your strik sis (little sister).” She combed her fingers through Clarke’s hair. “I didn’t mean to upset you either.”

“You didn’t. That evil woman did,” Clarke said, leaning into Lexa’s touch. “How could she send such a thing?” Lexa hugged Clarke, Alex tenderly squeezed between them.

“Because,” Anya strode over and took Alex so that Lexa could more easily embrace her wife, “as you said, she is evil, and she accomplished what she set out to do. She got a rise out of the two of you.”

“She’s going to get more than that.” It was Clarke’s turn to pace. “She’s going to get my sword through her throat.” She grabbed the box with the rattles. “Take these away. Have them melted into two daggers, one for me and one for Heda. We will use her own steel to cut her apart.”

“Wait a minute,” Raven took the box. Under the paper that had been cradling the deadly rattles there was a note. She quickly read it and handed it to Clarke.

The omega let out a terrifying growl and both babies started to cry. Everyone let out soothing pheromones, and once the crying stopped, Clarke said as calmly as she could. “It looks like we won’t need to go hunting this spring. Nia is coming here.” She looked at Lexa. “She has challenged you and me to soulou gonplei (solo combat).”

Octavia sneered. “She does realize that soulou is solo right? It’s not exactly solo if she’s fighting both of you at the same time.”

“It is if she is challenging the leadership of the Coalition,” Lexa pointed out. “Both of us lead as one, therefore, soulou gonplei applies.”

“But can’t you have her killed on sight?” Octavia asked. “She already betrayed you and the Coalition.”

“Not if a challenge has been made.” Lexa stated, trying to remain calm. “It must be answered. She certainly already knows that the ambassadors have sentenced her to death. By issuing the challenge, she’s using the one loophole she can.”

“Well fuck. If that’s a law, it’s stupid,” Raven groused. “You need to change that skrish.”

“I can’t,” Lexa said, scrubbing her hands over her face. “If we, as leaders, ignore a challenge, it makes us look weak and unfit to rule.”

“But everyone loves you,” Octavia proclaimed.

“That may be so, but it is our way.” She looked at Clarke when she said, “She must have something up her sleeve because otherwise she knows she’s just prolonging the inevitable. She can’t beat the two of us.”

Clarke looked a little scared. “I don’t know, Lex. I haven’t picked up a weapon in months. I am out of shape and barely have enough endurance to climb two flights of stairs.”

“Can’t you just knock her on her ass with your souped-up pheromones?” Raven queried.

“It goes against the rules of soulou gonplei,” Lexa stated flatly, and the beta rolled her eyes.

“Another absurd rule.”

Anya walked over to Clarke and clapped a hand on her shoulder. “Looks like you and I have a lot of work to do before that joken traitor gets here, seken.”

Clarke was sweating and tired, and their training session had only just begun. She was over the moon in love with her two pups and wouldn’t change anything but being pregnant with them had taken a toll on her body, and she was far from being in fighting shape. 

“Can you take it just a little easy on me, fos? I did just have two babies.”

Soft copper eyes looked at the omega. “I would if I could, but we don’t have much time to get you back into shape. We aren’t starting from scratch, but you have a long way to go before you are as strong as you were before you got pregnant. Not only that,” Anya continued, “we know she’s going to play this dirty. She’s going to cheat, so we need to train while thinking of as many scenarios of how she could do this as possible. We need you and the Commander to be ready for whatever she throws at you.”

The door to the training room opened and Titus walked in. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Haiplana, but some of the nightbloods were hoping that they could observe your training.”

Clarke sighed. “Sure, send them in. They will get to see Anya wipe the floor with me.”

Anya snickered. “I guess I will go easy on you. I can’t have the natblidas thinking you are weak, which by the way, you are not. You’re just out of shape. They adore you so much that I fear they might attack me if I take you down too many times. Aden and Ontari are becoming formidable gona. Even little Zso is getting to be a fierce opponent.”

Ontari had come a long way since she had come to Polis. With care, attention, and acceptance, she was now just another of the natblidas. She had blossomed under Titus’s tutelage, and Clarke wasn’t sure, but she was almost certain that Ontari and Aden had started flirting with one another. While alpha/alpha pairs were rare, they weren’t completely unheard of. 

She smiled when three natblidas strolled into the room, Clarke carefully observed the alpha natblidas. Their proximity to each other left the Queen with no doubt that the two would be spending their first ruts together. 

“Ready to watch your Queen get her clock cleaned by an old woman?”

Anya gave a playful growl and shoved the omega’s shoulder. “I may be older than you, but I am not that old. I will only be thirty summers old when the Solstice arrives.”

Clarke grinned at the woman. “You know I love you fos, but I have to get my jabs in one way or another, especially if you are going to clean my clock soon.”

The two began sparring, and the small group of natblidas cheered their Queen on, even when she hit the ground and got pinned by Anya numerous times. 

“You are doing well, Clarke, “Anya praised. 

“Hardly.” Clarke reached with her arm so that her fos could help her up. 

“You have managed to pin me twice,” Anya said. “That is better than I had hoped.”

Everyone in the room looked over when they heard loud thumps, growling, and then laughter coming through the walls. Heda was in the room next to theirs sparring with Echo, Costia, Myra, and Gustus. By the sounds of it, she had just taken out all four of them. Clarke puffed up in pride for her houmon.

“That’s my girl,” she said.

The natblidas got excited. “Can we go watch Heda?” Aden asked.

Clarke chuckled and conceded defeat. She couldn’t compete with her wife when the alpha was defeating four of her best warriors at the same time. 

“Yes, go, but be good or you will all have to spend an hour massaging out my aching muscles.”

The three goufa went running from the room, and Anya double over in laughter when she heard little Zso gag.

“What? I know I have nomon bod now, but is it really that bad?”

After Anya got control of herself, she told Clarke that her body was just fine. “You know how young ones are at that age. They’re terrified to touch themselves let alone an adult.”

“Um, Anya, I hate to break it to you, but I have a feeling they are just beginning to enjoy touching themselves, at least Ontari and Aden are.”

The alpha paled. “Stop. That is not an image I want in my head.”

Clarke guffawed. “Let’s take a break. I want to go watch my wife kick some ass.”

“Fine, but we are not finished for the day. Weapons training is next.”

Clarke groaned.

When they made it to the other room, Lexa had her swords out and she was sparring with Gustus. The natblidas were wide-eyed watching their Commander back the giant of a man into a corner. Try as he might, Gustus could not defend himself against the whirling dervish that was Lexa. Myra and Costia stepped up and added themselves to the fray. The three circled the Commander, all brandishing their swords.

Heda was easily able to keep them at bay. When they stopped for a break, Clarke suggested they make things more fun. It would be Lexa and Clarke against, Myra, Echo, Costia, Gustus, Anya, and the natblidas. The nightbloods jumped up and down in excitement.

“Eight against two, niron? Do you think that is fair to them?” 

“Oh, please,” Costia taunted. “You don’t stand a chance.”

Just then Raven walked in. Octavia was forcing Lincoln to babysit with her, not that the man minded. The pair had baby fever and were counting down the days until Octavia’s heat. 

“Ooh, what’s going on here?”

“Just a friendly sparring match, strik sora (little bird)” Anya said as she walked over and kissed her mate. “It’s all of us against the two of them.”

Raven raised an eyebrow. “You know you’re gonna lose, right?”

Anya pretended to be wounded by her words. “I’m counting on it, but we are not going to make it easy on them.”

While everyone was taking their break, Lexa nuzzled her nose in Clarke’s ear and whispered, “When the fight gets close to the end, I want you to use your pheromones and knock them all down. Show them that you are still a force to be reckoned with.”

“That’s mean, Lex,” Clarke said, not meaning it.

“Maybe so, but these four have been beating up your wife for the past hour and a half, don’t you want to get them back for leaving bruises on your beautiful houmon?”

Clarke couldn’t help but bark out a laugh. “You know I do, and tonight I will kiss every mark they left on you.”

“I am holding you to that, ai hodnes.”

Raven ran to go get Octavia, knowing the omega would kill her if she let the fight happen without getting her first. Lincoln was more than happy to stay with the pups. Even Titus came to spectate. 

Clarke and Lexa stood in the middle of the room. Lexa had her dual swords, and Clarke had her short sword. The others had their weapons drawn, surrounding the pair. 

Lexa made the first move and positioned herself so that they were each facing four opponents. She manipulated the scene so that she was facing off with Anya, Gustus, Myra and Aden. That left Clarke to defend herself against Zso, Echo, Costia and Ontari. 

The omega felt slightly offended by this because she knew Lexa had done this so that she was facing who the alpha thought were the weaker of the eight, but the fact that her houmon had done it made her heart melt. The alpha took on the stronger fighters to protect her omega. 

It was an impressive battle, and Clarke was easily able to hold her own against the four, but this was partly because Echo and Costia were holding back. Echo held back because it was her Queen she was battling. She was meant to protect her, not fight her, and Costia held back because she thought it was more fun to taunt the omega with slurs about her wife.

At first Costia’s words made Clarke sloppy, but then they only served to focus the omega. She quickly took out Costia and Echo leaving her to fight the two natblidas. She had to admit that she was impressed with the two young girls.

Ontari had a case of hero worship towards both her and Lexa, and she was determined to show just how much she had learned while under their care. Zso had a true fighting spirit, and every time she got knocked back or thrown to the ground, she would spring back up and resume her fighting stance. 

She chanced a glance at Lexa and saw that she was holding her own, but that she was tiring. The alpha ducked when Gustus swung his sword. She caught Clarke’s eye.

“Now, niron.”

Within the blink of an eye, Clarke flooded the room with pheromones. Weapons clanked the floor. Lexa moved next to her wife and gave her a unreasonably long kiss while the others could only watch from their knees. 

When Clarke finally released her hold, she was breathless from the kiss.

Raven was the first to jump to her feet. “That was awesome.”

“That was cheating,” Anya and Costia both grumbled.

“Maybe so,” Lexa said while smiling victoriously. “but we know Nia will not be playing fair, so neither can we.”

Echo walked to Clarke with an outstretched arm. She grasped the omega’s forearm firmly. “Well fought, my Queen.”

“Thank you, Echo. Plan on a rematch, just you and me, tomorrow morning. I expect you to give me everything you’ve got and not hold back next time.”

Costia growled. “You went easy on her?” She pointed an accusing finger at Echo. The dark-haired omega was sporting what would soon a be a black eye. “I want in on this fight tomorrow…in case my alpha decides to go soft on you again.”

Echo’s ears turned pink “Your alpha?”

“Of course, you’re my alpha. Why do you think I moved in with you, you big dummy?”

Echo’s blush intensified. “You’ve never said it before.”

“I didn’t know I needed to.” She grabbed Echo’s hand. “Let’s go wash this sweat off, and you can show my why you are my alpha.”

Lexa turned green at the thought of what her little sister and Echo were about to get up to. 

“Don’t be such a prude, Lex.” Clarke kidded. “You have to know that this isn’t going to be the first time that they have…”

“Don’t say it. I don’t want to know what Costia does with Echo. If I get the image in my head, I will never be able to get rid of it.”

Myra could be heard laughing as she left the training room with Gustus. 

“It will forever amuse me that your nomon has no qualms laughing at the two of you.” Clarke said of Lexa and Costia.

“How else do you think she stays so young?” Lexa asked. “Are you hungry?”

“That’s a silly question. You know I am. I am always hungry.”

“Would you like me to send for food to be sent up to our chambers, or would you rather eat somewhere else? I am sure that Octavia and Lincoln would not mind staying with the pups just a little longer.” 

Clarke had to think hard about that. She longed to get back to her children, but she also longed for some quality time alone with her alpha.

“How about we have food sent to my old quarters, and after we eat you can show me why you are my alpha?” Clarke chuckled at her use of Costia’s words. They worked though. Before she knew what was happening, she was being dragged to her old rooms. Lexa yelled to one of the attendants to have food sent to them.

They were lying sweaty and satiated on Clarke’s old bed. The omega was still out of breath, and Lexa had a smug look on her face. The alpha had her pinned to the mattress. “It’s good to know that I can still leave you breathless, niron.”

Clarke moved to nip at one of the wrists pinning her to the bed. “You always leave me breathless, ai alpha, and if I had my way, you would be the only one to pin me down ever again.”

Lexa leaned in for a kiss then relinquished her hold on her wife. “As much as I would love to stay here with you for the rest of the day, we had better go and get our pups before Octavia and Lincoln decide to kidnap them and make them their own.”

Clarke sat up. “You’re right.” She stood and put on her clothes. “I can’t decide who’s going to get pregnant next.”

“I know Anya wants it to be Raven so badly, but Octavia might beat her to the punch.” Lexa said as she also redressed.

“I don’t know.” Clarke started to smile knowing her next words would set her alpha off. “I think it might be Costia who gets pregnant.”

Lexa growled. “It had better not be her.”

“Why not? She is already living with Echo, so why can’t it be her?”

“Because…because…I don’t know why. It just can’t be her.”

Clarke chortled, but moved to calm her mate. “It’s because she is your baby sister, but she’s not a baby anymore. She’s a grown woman who is deeply committed to her alpha. It is inevitable that it will happen some day.”

Lexa sighed. “I know. I just…I want all of this to be over with Nia and the others first, and we need to help the Ona Graun. Plus,” she added, “we still haven’t found a way to cure Pike, even with Carl Emerson’s help.”

Emerson had been a huge help with the Mountain. He refused to go back into the place, but he had shared invaluable information. He had been given a home in TonDC, and he was working closely with Indra. As a show of good faith, he had given them the shutdown codes to missiles that the Coalition hadn’t even known existed. 

It had stymied the Commander that the missiles had never been used against them, but she was grateful that they hadn’t. Thousands could have been killed if they had. With the shutdown codes, the missiles had been dismantled and made completely useless. Heda wondered if the missiles were why Nia had aligned herself with Dante Wallace. She thanked the spirits that they had never fallen into the Ice bitch’s hands.

“It will all be over soon, Lex.” Clarke grasped Lexa around the waist.

“It will, and then there will be peace.” Regretful green eyes sought out Clarke’s blue ones. “I am sorry that you had to go through so much while you were pregnant. I am sorry I haven’t been able to end all of this already.”

Clarke hugged Lexa tightly. “Oh, my sweet alpha. You carry the weight of this world on your shoulders, but you don’t need to because you aren’t alone in this, and I want you to know that I wouldn’t change anything that happened. Everything that we did, and everything that has been done to us has been for a reason. I truly believe that it has all been leading to this. We will fight Nia and we will win, and after we do, we will find a way to bring everlasting peace to all our people. We will heal Pike, the Ona Graun will get to walk in the sun, and there will be a whole slew of babies born, and that will probably include your sister’s. Be happy that she found someone as special to her as you are special to me. She’s a lucky girl, just like I am.”

“Thank you, niron. I needed to hear that. Now let’s go get our pups. I think I am having withdrawal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I would love to hear your thoughts.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is having a wonderful day. It's cold and dreary here, and a perfect day for writing and updating.
> 
> Happy reading.

Chapter 29

Clarke had Madi on her hip while walking through the market. Lexa, who had Alex, had gotten caught up in a discussion with the leather merchant. The omega, of course, was on her way to peruse the art stall. She needed some new pencils and charcoal. She had been drawing the pups like mad and had been using up her supplies.

Before they made it, Clarke got distracted by the aroma of fresh baked goods and veered toward that stall instead. She placed a large order to have delivered to the tower then ordered something for herself. 

“Echo, do you want anything?” 

The Queen’s guard pointed to her favorite and Clarke got her two. She also got an assortment of pastries and handed them out to the rest of her protection detail. She knew it was against protocol, but her ever vigilant protectors deserved a sweet treat now and again.

They stood at the base of an ancient statue as they ate their delights, absorbing the warm rays of the sun. Winter had finally relinquished its hold on the region, and spring had sprung. Flowers were blooming, the farm fields just outside of the city were being sown with seeds and seedlings, and life was beginning anew. If it weren’t for the looming fight with Nia, Clarke wouldn’t have a care in the world.

Madi started to fuss and squirm in Clarke’s arms, and Echo walked over. “Allow me, my Queen.”

The alpha took the increasingly active active girl and rocked her in her arms. Madi had taken quite a liking to Echo, and it made Lexa nervous. She just knew that Costia was going to want a baby of her own for Echo to hold instead of her always holding her sister’s pup.

Echo offered a finger to the pup, and Madi eagerly stuck it in her mouth and began to suck. “I still can’t get over her eyes,” the alpha said. In the sunlight, the green and blue of the two eyes shined vibrantly.

The story of the alpha pup born with two different colored eyes had spread across the city, and by now the Coalition, like wildfire and some were prophesizing that she would be the next great Heda. Clarke and Lexa weren’t sure what they thought of this. It was certainly possible that the pup could become Heda someday, but it was also just as likely that Alex would. In the ideal world, there wouldn’t be the need for another Heda. It was Lexa’s fervent hope that once peace was established a new government could be developed that would be run by the people for the people without the need for a Commander. There were a lot of ideas swimming in the alpha’s head, and there would be a lot to sort out, but she knew that peace would be possible if they could figure out a way where blood didn’t always have to answer blood.

The Commander caught up to Clarke and the others just as they finished their sweet delicacies. “I hope you got one for me,” Lexa said as she walked up to Clarke and gave her and the pup a peck on the cheek. As soon as Alex saw his nomon, he wanted to be held by the omega and Lexa passed him off to Clarke without complaint. She then took her alpha daughter in her arms from Echo.

“Is my tough little alpha being good for her nomon and auntie?” She bounced the baby in her arms making the tiny girl coo with delight. She gladly accepted an apple pastry from Clarke with her free hand and savored every bite. She then let Madi suck some of the sticky residue from her finger. 

“Careful,” Clarke said. “She’s not ready for that yet.”

Lexa took her finger out of Madi’s mouth just long enough to get it sticky again so the girl could have another taste. “It’s just a tiny bit. It won’t hurt her.”

“I know but…”

Lexa interrupted her omega by popping a piece of flakey pastry into the omega’s mouth, stopping Clarke’s protests. “And they say I am the protective one,” Lexa grinned. “Mind if I walk with you to the art stall? I assume that is where you were headed.”

“You already knew that.” Clarke grabbed Lexa’s hand, ignoring the stickiness. “Just for that, you are paying for everything.”

Lexa stood and talked to Mig. He was the kindly old man who usually left the running of his stall to his son or daughter, but he explained that it was such a nice day that he wanted to let his family have the day off. The alpha could see the gleam in his eye as he spoke. He truly was kind, but she could see that he was secretly pleased with the number of items stacking up on the wooden counter at the back of his tent. Clarke had already found at least sixteen items that she wanted to purchase, and she was still going strong.

Lexa was just about to ask the man to start adding up the cost of the items when a young messenger came skidding into the stall. The poor girl was red-faced and out of breath.

“Heda, the scouts have found Nia. She will be here in about three days. She’s traveling with about sixty other people.” The girl’s words came out between each gasping breath.

“Mochof (thank you). What is your name?”

“Ai laik (I am) Shay.”

Lexa dug in her coin purse and handed one of the larger ones to the girl. “Go get some food and rest. You’ve done well.”

The surprised girl bowed and thanked Heda before running off again. Clarke was already walking toward her with the rest of her purchases in hand. She passed them to Mig. He quickly wrapped everything up and Lexa paid him a handsome fee.

“I’m afraid it’s time to go, ai Haiplaina. Nia has been spotted about three days out from here. We need to meet with the ambassadors and make sure that things have been drawn up properly in case you or I fall in the fight against Nia.”

Clarke shivered. She had not liked the initial meetings to draw up papers that would give legal custody of their pups to Costia and Echo if the two of them should perish in the fight against Nia. The omega had initially resisted allowing such a thing. She refused to accept that one or both of them could die in the fight, but after much convincing, she agreed. She had to make sure that if they were both gone, Nia would have no legal recourse to be able to take or harm the pups. 

Raven who had initially been upset that the pups wouldn’t go to her and Anya had told her that what they were doing was drawing up a will. Clarke had scoffed at the beta because whatever it was that they were doing was quite against her will. There was nothing willing about it, but after much explanation, she understood. She also spent a great deal of time explaining to Raven that it wasn’t that they didn’t want Anya and the beta to raise their pups, but more that Lexa felt that the pups needed to stay in the family, and since there was only Costia and Myra, it only made sense that they went to her sister and Echo. Raven understood this even if she did still give Clarke a hard time about it.

“I heard. Sounds like she’s bringing a good number of people with her.” She shivered again.

“Not as many as she would have if she hadn’t betrayed her own people. I’m sure it’s the last of her loyal supporters.”

“I hope that’s all it is. We don’t need anyone adding to the trouble I am sure she is going to cause.”

Lexa carried Clarke’s new purchases for her and placed them on the large drawing table that the omega liked to use. She didn’t bother with unwrapping everything or putting it away. With Nia looming on the horizon, Clarke wouldn’t be drawing or painting any time soon. She looked over the top of the table. It was scattered with papers, pencils, brushes, charcoals, and wadded up paper. There was one neatly stacked pile of drawings. The alpha carefully picked them up and started to rifle through the images. Every single page contained a picture of their family. 

She smiled. Most of the pictures contained the four of them as the perfect family, but as Lexa got further down in the stack, she noticed that the feeling of the drawings had shifted. They still depicted their happy pups, but in these new pictures, either Lexa, Clarke, or both of them were missing. It appeared that Clarke’s worries about the upcoming fight were carrying over onto her sketches. The omega was worried that one or both of them were going to die in this fight.

The alpha waited patiently for Clarke to come back into the room. The omega had taken Madi and Alex to the nursery. Both pups had fallen asleep on the walk back to the tower.

When Clarke finally appeared, she looked haunted. Lexa put the stack of drawings down and opened her arms. Her wife quickened her steps and walked into the alpha’s waiting embrace.

“You’re worried,” Lexa stated.

“How can I not be? Even since we drew up the will, I’ve been afraid that our pups are going to grow up without one of us or maybe even both of us.”

“She can’t beat us, Clarke.”

“You don’t know that,” Clarke barked out, the worry getting to her. “You were the first to admit that she is going to cheat. We have no idea what to expect.”

“The second she cheats, all bets are off, and we throw everything we have at her. She won’t win or hurt either of us, niron.”

Clarke rested her head in the crook of Lexa’s shoulder. “I just can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen.”

“We are strong together, hodnes. No matter what happens, she won’t take either of us away from our children, nor will I allow her to harm you.”

Clarke moved back so that she could look Lexa in the eyes. “And what about you? What if she harms you?”

“I am not going anywhere. I promise.”

“You shouldn’t make promises that you might not be able to keep, Lex.” She nuzzled her head back into Lexa’s shoulder then grazed the mating mark on Lexa’s neck with her teeth causing the alpha to gasp.

“I can if it’s a promise I know that I can uphold. I am the Commander for a reason. I will not allow that traitorous Ice bitch to win. You need to trust me.”

“I do. It’s her I don’t trust.”

When Nia arrived, she was not received as a guest of the Coalition. Until the day of the fight, which would take place in two days’ time, she would be forced to stay outside of the capital’s gates. The Azplana made her anger at this well-known but didn’t lash out. Her group, which had diminished in size to a mere ten people, of which the Wallaces and Wells were part, set up their tents close to the walls of Polis.

“Where is the rest of their group?” Clarke wondered aloud.

The absence worried everyone. It was as if the others vanished overnight. Even the scouts had no idea where they had gone. Heda had screamed at the scouts wondering how they could have missed it as fifty people went missing from Nia’s group. Clarke stopped her before she could bring them all to their knees.

“There’s nothing to be done for it, Lex. We simply have to ensure that we are ready for their reappearance, because you can be sure we haven’t seen the last of them.”

The alpha had paced and grumbled, but she knew her wife was correct. She increased the guards at the walls, had spies with eyes on Nia constantly, and would have gona and archers hidden within the crowd when the fight began. Whatever Nia was up to, they would be ready.

During all of this, Raven was busy, and was rarely seen except when Anya would drag her out of the workshop for food. The poor alpha had taken to sleeping on the floor of the shop because she could not get her beta to leave. Whatever Raven was working on had her barely sleeping, and she wouldn’t tell anyone what she was doing. Anya told Lexa that she thought her wife might be going mad.

“No matter what I do, I can’t get Raven to stop. She barely acknowledges that I am in the room,” Clarke overheard Anya complaining to the Commander. She could hear the hurt in Anya’s voice.

“Do you want me to go talk to her?” Clarke asked. 

“Can you?” Anya was desperate. Raven was so focused on her task that she was ignoring her mate.

The omega walked over to the distraught alpha and gave her a long hug. The alpha nearly melted in her arms. “Let me go see what I can do.” She let go and walked out of the room.

When she got to Raven’s shop, she instructed Echo and the many guards she had trailing her to stay outside. Echo had grumbled at this, but she obeyed her Queen.”

It was darker inside than Clarke expected, but as her eyes adjusted, she found the beta hunched over one of her many worktables working furiously on something.

“What are you doing, Raven?”

The beta was so startled the tool she had in her hand went flying.

“Jok, Clarke. Don’t do that. You scared the skrish out of me.”

Clarke didn’t apologize. She could see the dark circles under her friend’s eyes. “Anya’s very worried about you.”

Raven didn’t say anything at first. She had already picked up her tool and started working again.

“Raven, stop for a second,” Clarke demanded.

The beta looked up again, clearly frustrated. “I’m kind of on a deadline here, Clarke.”

“A deadline for what?”

“I promised I would make that fucker Wallace go boom for what he did to Anya, and I aim to keep that promise. As soon as he is strung up on a tree, and has received his cuts, I’m going to wire that piece of trash with a fuse that will take hours to burn, and I am going to watch as it slowly blisters his skin, all the way to his head, and then it will explode. I’m going to make sure his head explodes just like a watermelon that’s been hit with a sledgehammer.”

Clarke took a step back from the beta. Raven was serious. She had coils of wires and material in front of her that the omega couldn’t make any sense of. She was slightly horrified at what Raven had planned, but at the same time, she was also forming an idea. She grabbed a chair and set it down next to her friend. “Do you have enough to make four of those?” 

Feverish eyes turned toward her, and Raven smirked. “Of course, I do.” 

It was the morning of the fight. Lexa had insisted that they both drink something to help them sleep the night, so that they would wake feeling rested. Otherwise, Lexa knew that neither of them would have been able to relax.

The alpha was just finishing strapping Clarke into her armor. She turned so that Clarke could help her with one of her more difficult buckles.

“Whatever happens today, I need you to focus on protecting only yourself.”

“Lex…”

“I am serious, niron. Don’t get distracted by what happens with me. It’s supposed to be the two of us against her, but we already know that something is going to happen, and when it does, I need you to remain focused. If my feelings are correct, she’s going to go after you hard because if she hurts you, she hurts me, so promise me you will focus only on yourself.”

“I will try, but you have to do the same.”

“As hard as that will be, ai tombom (heart). I will do the same.”

The stands surrounding the fighting arena were packed. It appeared that every resident of Polis had arrived to watch Heda and Wanheda fight. Many were holding banners showing their support for their leaders, and they all started to cheer when they made it to the center of the fighting ring. 

The cheering was followed by boos when Nia arrogantly strode into the ring. She was wearing her own armor, and her head was half-covered by the skull of some long dead animal. Her white face paint matched the color of the bleached-out bone.

Echo and four other gona approached the woman and thoroughly searched her for any hidden weapons or poisons.

“You don’t get to cheat this time, natrona (traitor).” Echo was about to walk away but turned. “I will enjoy taking my cut and watching Heda end your life after you are strapped on the tree.”

Nia sneered at her. “The only thing that you will be watching is my blade as it takes off your precious Haiplana’s head.”

Echo spat at the disgusting woman’s feet then walked back to her Queen. She was still growling when she got there.

“Bash that stupid skull off that natrona’s head then cave in her skull for me.”

Clarke couldn’t help but chuckle, even if she was full of nerves. “I’ll do what I can.” She watched as Nia was led to a weapons rack. Nia was only allowed to point to what she wanted and a gona handed it to her. She strode back to the middle of the ring and brandished her swords. No one in the crowd cheered. 

When Nia had first entered the city, the Wallaces and Wells were at her side. Because they were her official attendants, they were allowed to enter, however, as soon as Nia was in the ring, they were set upon and chained. Nia had been foolish if she thought her companions would get out of this unscathed. She was either fully convinced that she would be walking away from this fight with her life, or she didn’t care about what happened to the others. Clarke figured it was the latter. She had likely gotten all the benefit out of her alliance with the Maunon she was going to.

Titus stood in his podium and yelled to get everyone’s attention. Myra and Costia were seated near him, and Clarke could see the worry etched on their faces. Clarke almost smiled when Costia gave them a thumbs up, a gesture she was sure she learned from Raven. 

She watched as said beta scrambled in to sit with them. She must have just left her workshop. She was frazzled and unkempt, and based on the sudden face Costia made, she must not have bathed recently either. 

Anya walked over to Clarke and stood on her right, Echo on her left. She placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. “You’ve got this, seken.”

Lexa stood alone. Instead of Titus announcing the fight, she did. “The Haiplain and I have been challenged to soulou gonplei by the Azplana.” The crowd booed, and she let them. She could see Nia getting angrier as each second passed.

“This natrona betrayed us and her people and sided with the Maunon.” More booing. “She ran away instead of facing justice, and now she has come here and had the audacity to challenge us.” The crowd erupted and started throwing rotten fruit at the alpha traitor. She let out a loud growl.

Lexa held up her hand and it stopped. “As Commander, all I have ever wanted for you was peace, and with the Haiplana at my side, we have almost achieved this, but this murderous woman wants only blood and war. She helped turn our people into ripas.” Lexa couldn’t stop the roaring crowd this time. She had to wait it out.

“Even if your Queen and I fall this day, do not let this woman win. Do not let her poison you with her bloodthirsty ways. Blood does not always have to have blood. Find a way to live peacefully.”

Cheers of ‘Heda, Heda, Heda’ started up. Clarke walked over to stand by her side. “This woman will think that if she beats us it gives her the right to take the throne,” Clarke yelled. “It does not. From now on, the leaders will be chosen by the people, and when this is over, Heda and I still stand and you don’t want us, we will step down and let you choose who leads you. Just don’t be blinded by false promises or threats. Each of you deserves to live a serene life, a life not filled with fear.”

Lexa moved in to give her wife a heart-stopping kiss. If it was to be their last kiss, it was going to be a good one. If the crowd was loud before, it was nearly deafening now.

“Even if you win this Nia,” Clarke said, “you will still be the most hated women on the planet.” Nia growled at her and made a rude gesture with her hand.

It was Titus’ turn to speak again. “Teik de gonplei stot au (let the fight begin).”

Nia turned to face the beloved leaders of the Coalition. “I’m going to enjoy watching you bleed.” She roared and charged at Clarke immediately, ignoring Lexa. Just as the omega raised her sword to block the blow, the crowd exploded with screams and cries. Nia’s sword hit hers with more strength then Clarke was expecting. It reverberated through her arm, and as she was recovering from the blow, she froze and watched in horror as ripas, at least fifty of them, came crawling out from under the bleachered seats. They started to attack the crowd. She was so distracted and upset by this, Nia landed a blow across her forearm and another on her temple. She almost dropped her weapon, but instead she tightened her grip, spun, and kicked Nia back a few feet.

Lexa was already moving to fight the reapers. “How the hell did Nia get them in here?” She could hear Echo yelling. Gona and archers were flooding the stands, although the archers were rendered useless by the proximity of all the people and had to resort to using their daggers.

It was utter chaos, and Clarke was unable to keep track of Lexa as she disappeared into the wild throng of people. Nia swiped at her again, but this time she was easily able to block her.

“You think you are special, kwelen (weak) omega, because you can make alphas bow at your feet, but those days are over. You and that filthy mutt you call a mate are no longer the strongest ones alive.” 

Clarke suddenly felt herself being pushed back. Nia was releasing a forceful wave of pheromones, and it was taking everything the omega had in her not to drop to her knees.

“H-how…”

“That freakish black blood of yours.” Nia said, lifting her blade. “Why do you think I sided with the Maunon?” She struck out at Clarke who was barely fast enough to block the hit. She was being overrun by Nia’s new power. It felt like she was underwater and trying to run. Every move she made was sluggish.

Clarke had to step back to avoid the next hit. She knew what was happening and she was powerless to avoid it. She was being backed into a corner.

“I convinced those stupid men to experiment on your blood. It is because of me that the new reapers were developed. It was because of me that they figured out a way to use it to breath our air, and it was because of me that they killed their own kind.” She swung at Clarke again. This time the blade glanced off Clarke’s blade and dug into her thigh. Still Clarke fought to remain of her feet. If she was going to die at Nia’s hands, it wouldn’t be from her knees.

“Pathetic.” Nia’s next blow grazed Clarke’s side. The Azplana was playing with her.

“I finally convinced them to test your blood on me…to wonderous results. I no longer bow to anyone. There is no one stronger than me now, and the people of the Coalition will know my power.” She hit Clarke with another wave of pheromones. The only reason the omega stayed on her feet was because the wall behind her was holding her up.

“No,” Clarke yelled. She felt an unusual tingling in her chest. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before. “No,” she screamed again. She pushed the feeling from her and unexpectedly everyone in the crowd, all except Lexa and Nia, had fallen to their knees, even the ripas.

Silence fell over them until the ripas started clawing at their heads. They were grunting and trying to fight the hold over them. Everyone else had their eyes on Clarke, even as they exposed their necks to her. 

It became a battle of wills between Nia and Clarke. She could see Nia struggling, but so was she. Nia was still pouring out her acrid pheromones and the omega didn’t know how much longer she would be unable to submit.

Lexa made her way to Clarke from behind Nia. The woman must have noticed when Clarke took her eyes off her for a second because before the omega knew what was happening, Nia was spinning and launching an attack on Lexa. 

To her credit, the Commander was ready. They hit each other with directed blasts of pheromones even as they were raising their weapons. Clarke shook off the effects she was feeling from Nia’s and ran to her mate’s side. The battle had begun in earnest. All three women were pouring out their potent scents while clashing swords, throwing punches, and dodging kicks. Lexa’s blade cut into Nia’s leg causing her to step back. This time, it was Clarke who was ready. She spun and crashed the flat of her sword against the bone skull protecting the alpha’s head. It shattered to pieces and had Nia rolling away to avoid the next hits. 

“It’s over, Nia,” Lexa yelled.

“Never!” Nia found her feet and used the last of her strength to try and make Clarke and Lexa submit, but it was too late. Clarke was at Lexa’s side, and she took the alpha’s left hand. Together the blasted the Ice Queen with an overwhelming hurricane of pheromones. The woman’s nose, eyes, and even ears began to bleed as she fought. It was a valiant effort, but she finally fell to her knees. 

The crowd was slowly regaining their feet as the initial shot of pheromones Clarke sent out dissipated into the air. The gona in the crowd subdued the remaining ripas in the crowd. The spectators who were still alive and uninjured watched in silence as Lexa and Clarke approached the fallen Ice Queen.

“This was supposed to be a fight to the death,” Lexa yelled, “but that is too easy a death for this traitor. I hereby sentence her to be strapped to a tree and given one thousand cuts.” Clarke walked over to Lexa and whispered something in her ear. The Commander grinned ferociously.

“After her last cut, her death will be by beheading.”

One last time the crowd roared. Clarke walked over to the kneeling figure. “You’ve lost, natrona.” She hit Nia with the handle of her dagger, knocking the woman unconscious, letting her fall to the dirt.

Echo and Anya moved to stand next to Clarke. “Please allow us to take her to the dungeons. It will give us great enjoyment to see her caged like the dog she is until the day of her death.”

Clarke was too tired to do more than nod her consent. She had lost a lot of blood and began to sway on her feet.

Lexa caught her. She had wounds of her own from having fought the ripas. “Let’s get you to the fisa, niron, before you pass out. Ai hod yu in.” She swept the Queen into her arms and walked her past the celebrating onlookers. She heard Raven yelling. “Commander Heart Eyes does it again.”

“I love you too, Heda,” Clarke finally said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely would love to hear your thoughts on this one. I hope it met expectations. Fight scenes are not my forte.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. We are at chapter 30. When I set out to write this, I had no idea where it was going or how long it would be, and now 30 chapters in I can say that we are very close to the end. There's one maybe two chapters left to write in this story, but that won't be the end of me writing. I have already started a new story, have a few on the back burner, and am still actively writing and updating my other WIP. I can't tell you all how much I appreciate that you all have stuck with this story for so long. Every kudos, and especially every comment, means so much, so thank you to everyone who has kept up with this. 
> 
> I hope this next chapter satisfies. I think it is a fitting end to our villains. There is violence, but it is nothing too graphic. When you get to the ****, that is your cue to bow out if you don't want to read it. Like I said, it's nothing super descriptive, but I know some people just don't want to read stuff like that. 
> 
> Happy reading.

Chapter 30

Lexa stepped out of the tower and she was alone. It was a rare thing for her to walk the streets of Polis on her own, but she had forbidden anyone from coming with her, including Clarke. She had a lot on her mind, and she needed to think.

She should have felt light, but instead she felt unsettled. The fight with Nia was over, Wells and the Wallaces were in custody, and the fifty ripas had been taken to the Mountain for treatment. There was hope that the treatment would be successful, but no one got their hopes too high. Charles Pike had received several treatments and had yet to recover. 

She wandered the streets of Polis, smiling politely at the market venders and any other that greeted her, but she did not engage. She walked, back rigid with her hands behind her back. Her formal stance let most know that now was not the time to disturb her.

She wasn’t sure where her feet were taking her, but before long she looked up and found herself at the door that led to the catacombs below the city. Most were empty, the bones they had formerly contained having crumbled to dust ages ago. As she walked through the subterranean channels, she was forced to light a torch so that she could see. She let her eyes meander over the walls, floors, and the overall structure of the place. She wondered if the Ona Graun would consent to moving some of their people here. She suddenly realized that the catacombs were how Nia got her ripas into the city.

The people of the underground were getting treatment. The scientists back at the Mountain had been working on a cure for them that would allow them to move freely above the ground, but so far it had only worked on some, and of those it had worked on, all were female. Explanations were given, but it came down to genetics and the components of Clarke’s blood sample that had been used to create the serum being given to them. It would take some tinkering and time, but those working to give the Ona Graun their freedom said they would eventually be able to treat everyone. Fortunately, no new samples were required from Clarke. Everything they needed could be replicated in the labs of the Mountain.

The treatment for the ripas was just as tricky and had similar results. So far, it had only worked on the female ripas with one unusual side-effect. The omegas that had been turned felt an unusual draw to Clarke. They had an unshakable longing to be near and protect the Queen, and all had ended up moving to Polis. When they had tried to reintegrate into society, they had felt lost and useless, and it was only when Clarke was near that they would calm.

Clarke had been weirded out by the attention the former reapers wanted to lavish on her, but Anya and Costia came up with a solution. They conscripted the women into Clarke’s omega army. By giving them a purpose, that of serving and protecting their Queen, the women settled. It allowed them to move on with their lives after the terrible thing Nia, the Queen they had previously trusted, had done to them.

The fifty people that had followed Nia all the way from Azgeda had been endlessly and blindly loyal to the Ice Queen. The other ten had included Wells, the Maunon, and the Queen’s guards who she did not turn.

During the fight that Nia had tried to sabotage, many of the ripas had been killed, and Clarke had mourned each one of them feeling like it was her fault that they had been turned. For as far as her omega had come, Lexa knew that she would always take blame for the things others had done and which were out of her control. It was just how her wife had been built, and while it hurt her heart to know that Clarke carried that pain with her, it also served to endear the Commander to her more. The depths that the Haiplana cared for her people, all her people, never ceased to amaze Heda, and it was one of the reasons the Queen was so well loved throughout the Coalition.

After the fight, no vote had to be held. The people wanted their Queen and Commander to stay right where they were, but even so, the two vowed to involve the people more in the decisions affecting the Coalition. 

As Lexa wandered the catacombs wondering if some of the Ona Graun would move there, she knew it was a decision she would also take to the people before allowing it to happen. She knew many would stay where they were. Already their underground hot springs were garnering much attention and bringing them more wealth and goods than they had ever had, but she knew many also longed to see something else. The catacombs weren’t the perfect solution, but she held out hope that one day soon all the people from the new clan would be free to travel where they wanted. The one place that would eventually be off limits would be the Mountain. After the ripas and Ona Graun were treated, she would allow the place to be stripped of any useful technology, but after that, she would have Raven blow the Mountain down. It had been a place of death and suffering for her people for too long to allow it to remain. All agreed with this.

Lexa almost chuckled when she saw where her feet had taken her as she knew that eventually she would end up here. She took an old, heavy key from her pocket and unlocked a door. She walked slowly down the corridor that led deep into the dungeons. Each step she took felt heavier than the one before as she forced herself to face one of her loudest critics and biggest foes.

Nia had been placed far from the others in the dungeons, chained, and guarded from afar. She had foolishly been placed in a cell by the others (Dante, Cage, and Wells), and the Azplana, in all her rage forced the men to submit to her until they had passed out. She had screamed and ransacked her cell trying to get to the men that she blamed for not making her strong enough to take down Heda.

Clarke and Lexa had had to intervene and force Nia down until Anya and Echo were able to get her in chains. It took them, Gustus, and Lincoln to drag her down to the rarely used underbelly of the dungeon. There she was placed with restraints on both wrists and both ankles, and she was given very little slack to move.

As Lexa got closer to the cell holding the fallen Ice Queen, she was forced to grab a torch so that she could see. It didn’t make her feel bad that Nia had been left in the dark. The alpha figured with as black as her soul was, Nia would be at home in the dark. 

She had reached the entryway to the path that led to Nia’s cell. The two guards standing there, well out of reach of Nia’s pheromonal powers, were dismissed. She silenced her steps and approached as quietly as she could. She knew the torch light would give her away, but she did it nevertheless. Stealth wasn’t her mission anyway. 

She cautiously approached Nia’s cell. It had been three weeks since the fight. It had been decided to treat as many of the ripas as possible so that they could get their cuts in if they desired. Those that had been healed were in the city, so the execution was scheduled for the next day.

Lexa knew that despite the harsh punishment Nia had already received by being kept in the dark and chained, she was still powerful. The effects of whatever she had injected into herself had not worn off as some hoped that it would. Heda had not been so naïve to think that would happen, and she had been correct.

“Nia.” Lexa spoke authoritatively. The other alpha who had been sleeping, or at least feigning sleep, lifted her head causing her chains to rattle.

She gave the Commander and evil sneer. “To what do I owe the honor, Heda?” She spit out Lexa’s title as if it left a bad taste in her mouth, which it probably did.

“I am here to personally inform you that your execution will start tomorrow morning.”

Nia spit at her. Lexa simply stepped aside and let the glob hit the floor. She kicked some dirt over it so she wouldn’t accidentally step in it. She then felt an unnerving tickle at the back of her head. Nia was staring at her fiercely with sunken dark eyes. She was trying to get Lexa to submit to her, and it was harder for Lexa to fight than she was comfortable admitting.

Lexa shot a blast back at her. It seemed without Clarke with her to give Lexa the upper hand, the two women were evenly matched, not that it mattered. Nia wasn’t going anywhere in her chains.

Finally, after several minutes, Lexa said, “Don’t you tire of this, always trying to gain power over the person nearest you?” 

Nia growled and hit Lexa with another shot of pheromones.

Lexa rolled her eyes, infuriating Nia further. “Give it a rest already. What exactly do you hope to accomplish? Even if you could get me on my knees, you are still in there, chained to the wall. You can’t win this.”

Nia broke off her attack. When Lexa let up on hers, she said, “Doesn’t that feel better?”

Nia growled again and threw back her head causing her to hit it hard against the rough brick wall. She groaned in pain. Lexa almost felt bad for her.

“Why are you here?” Nia asked again.

“I’m here to tell you that your son, Roan, has already returned to Azgeda as king. Your people will be well taken care of and treated just as any other in the Coalition.”

“You are full of skrish, Heda. You will never treat them fairly. You will steal from them just as you stole from me.”

Lexa approached the bars of the cell. She grabbed a bar in each hand and pulled herself in close. Nia was still a good six feet away. “Tell me, Azplana, what exactly did I steal from you?”

“You stole the throne.” Nia spit again, almost hitting Lexa this time. “It should have been mine…it would have been mine except that your filthy omega mutt ruined everything.”

Lexa growled. If Nia wasn’t careful, Lexa would walk in and kill her where she was. “You will not speak about the Queen that way.”

“I would have had it all. I had most of the ambassadors on my side. You are weak, Lexa kom Trikru, and I convinced them of that. If not for the wretched beast at your side, you would be long dead. If she hadn’t been a natblida they would have followed me and made me Heda.”

Lexa roared and almost shook the bars loose from their anchors in the hard-packed earth. She’d had it with talking to Nia and hit her with everything she had. The Ice Nation alpha fought it, but eventually craned her neck to the side. Lexa didn’t let up until the woman was whimpering.

“You could have had peace,” Lexa yelled. “You could have had a long life enjoying your people, your children, and your grandchildren. Instead, you foolishly threw it all away because you were greedy and power hungry.” Lexa unclenched her fists from around the bars. “You have one day left to come to terms with all you have done. I hope in that time you will realize everything that you have lost.” Lexa paused. “It’s a pity. We could have been allies, and maybe even friends, but you just couldn’t get past your own ego.”

With that Lexa spun on her heals and strode away from the soon-to-be-dead Azplana. She hadn’t made it out of the dungeons before she heard Dante Wallace yelling at her. 

“You can’t do this to me.” He screamed. “Do you know who I am? I am the President, and my people were meant to walk this earth, not you savages.”

Lexa had intended to walk right past him, but she stopped. She regarded him for a moment, feeling the arrogance pouring off him. He didn’t try to make her submit, knowing it was useless. “If that were true, then you wouldn’t have killed all of them. You committed genocide, and for that, you will die tomorrow.”

The man faltered. “That wasn’t my idea.” He tried to lay the blame at Nia’s feet. 

“She may have planted the seed, Mr. Wallace.” Lexa purposefully did not use his title, “but it was you who pushed the button that killed them. You are solely responsible for those lost lives. You have one day to make your peace with them. You had better hope their spirits aren’t waiting for you in the afterlife.”

Lexa looked in the two cells containing Wells Jaha and Cage Wallace. Cage looked resigned to his fate, but Wells, he was weeping quietly.

“Tell 319…I mean Clarke…please tell Clarke that I am sorry. I know now what I did was wrong.”

“It’s a little too late for that now, isn’t it, little man? If you want to apologize to the Queen, you can do it tomorrow at your execution. I will not be carrying any of your words back to her.”

She turned away, lengthened her stride, and marched back to the tower. Looming executions always took their toll on the alpha, but these looming deaths were eating away at her more than usual. She mounted the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator and practically sprinted to get to her family. She needed the strength of her wife and her pups if she was going to get through today and the next.

Clarke looked up when Lexa clamored into the room. Her alpha looked as if she had run all the way up the stairs. She was visibly upset, and it had Clarke up and going to her before she knew what she was doing. She pulled the alpha into her arms.

“Lex, you’re trembling. What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Clarke leaned back to make sure her houmon was whole and hearty.

“I’m okay. Better now that I am in your arms.” 

Clarke simply held her wife until she calmed. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s nothing…it’s silly really.”

“It isn’t silly if whatever is going on has you trembling.” Clarke pulled Lexa to the couch and sat her down, making sure she had a good view of where their children were napping in their cribs. “Please tell me what’s going on in that gorgeous head of yours.”

Lexa gave her a weak smile. “I just finished seeing the prisoners. I informed Nia of her impending death. I also had a run in with Dante Wallace.”

Clarke frowned. “Why does that have you so upset?”

Lexa held her breath then let it out in a huge gust. She scrubbed her face with her hands. “It has me upset because I am so angry with her…and the others. If I had my way, I would rip them all limb from limb. I would chop them up into tiny pieces, and then I would trample them into the dirt.” She ran her hands through her hair. 

“The rage inside me is so bad that I can feel the burning bile in my throat, and I can’t seem to get it under control. I am Heda. I need to be better than this.”

“Lex.” Clarke had to use two fingers to tip Lexa’s head up. “Lex, look at me.” Glassy green eyes finally found hers. “You don’t have to be strong all the time, and you don’t have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. I am here to carry it with you, and if it makes you feel better, I feel that rage too. I would like nothing more than to skin them alive only to let the skin grow back so that I could do it again. Nia and the Maunon have been hurting your…our people for years. It is understandable if your anger and rage boil to the surface. In fact, if it didn’t, I would worry that you were some kind of robot with no emotions.”

Lexa couldn’t help herself and tipped her head in confusion. “What is a robot?”

Clarke laughed and explained what Raven had told her. Just like that the two women were joking and talking and the mood had lightened. Because it was the day before an execution, there was no official business, and the two houmons took the time to try and relax. Clarke even got out the tablet Raven had gifted her and found cartoons from almost two hundred years ago. It was called the Jetsons and had a robot in it named Rosie. When the first episode of the cartoon ended, Lexa declared that she wanted a Rosie the Robot and was going to task Raven with building her one. Clarke didn’t have the heart to tell her that it wasn’t possible.

The rest of the day was spent playing with their pups on the floor. They saw no one. The mood in the tower was a heavy one, and most of the occupants stayed in their chambers. The proud parents were happy to spend the day with their pups. Even the two cats stayed nearby, playing and then napping near Madi and Alex. 

The two cats had taken a shine to the babies, but they each had a favorite. Zodiac, the calmer of the two cats took to following little Madi wherever she was placed. Zodiac was a soothing presence to the alpha girl. It was almost as if the cat could sense when she was about to cry. The black cat would walk over and rub her body against the girl, and Madi would instantly calm. She cried far less than her brother.

Neither pup was old enough to crawl yet, but that didn’t matter. Zodiac always made sure to be nearby. Minx, the feistier of the two, did the same with Alex, and more than once swatted at someone if the cat thought the tiny omega was in danger. Minx was his furry protector while Zodiac was the comforter. Both pups were delighted with their four-legged friends. 

They had their evening meal, Clarke fed Alex then Madi (it had gotten to be too much of a chore to do both at the same time), put them to bed, and then they spent a few hours wrapped in each other’s arms as they stargazed from the balcony.

“Do you think there are more people up there?” Lexa asked.

Clarke knit her eyebrows together and thought about it. “I have no way of answering that, but I hope not…or at least I hope that if there are that they never make it back to earth.”

“Why is that, hodnes?”

“Look what the arrival of the Ark caused. I do not wish for more people like them to arrive.”

“Sadly, those types of people exist everywhere, niron. Nia and Dante Wallace are perfect examples of that.”

“True.” Clarke stayed silent for a while thinking back to everything she had suffered at the hands of the people on the Ark. She wondered if she would still be alive if she had never been sent down. She doubted it. For a brief moment, she almost wished that all the people on the Ark had died from the problem she had found with the air, but then she chastised herself. If that had happened, she would never have had people like Raven, Octavia, Monty, Harper, or Murphy in her life. 

There had been a lot of good people on the Ark. Their real personalities had never gotten the chance to show because of the alphas on the station. Once free from their overbearing control, the true spirit of the people was able to shine through. There were people with an undying thirst for knowledge like Raven, and those with courage like Octavia. There were those who were entrepreneurs like Monty and Jasper, and those who wanted a simple life like Murphy. 

Clarke smiled when she thought of Murphy. Unknown to everyone except Costia, who was his best friend, he had mated with another beta. He had secretly courted her, brought her flowers, and even cooked for her, and apparently, they had been dating for months. She was a sweet and timid girl named Emori, and just happened to be the fisa, Silene’s, daughter. She had been taken by her father many years ago and had been found wandering in the Dead Zone. The man who found her had been brought back to Polis, and her mother and Nyko had brought her back to health. 

It took everyone by surprise when he proudly announced one night at a large gathering that they were mated and expecting a pup. The look in his eyes as he gazed at his mate let everyone know just how much he loved the girl. Raven even teased that Heda might lose her status as Commander Heart Eyes, although everyone knew that would never happen. Lexa only ever looked at Clarke with love in her eyes. Clarke wasn’t much better.

There was a huge round of congratulations, and a lot of money was lost, or won depending on how one looked at it, because no one had bet that John Murphy would be the next to have a pup. All bets were still on Raven, Octavia, and Costia getting pregnant at the same time. As that night had gone on Clarke smirked as new bets were being made, even getting in on the action herself.

She finally took her eyes off the sky and looked at her wife. Lexa’s green orbs were beginning to droop.

“Let’s get you into bed, alpha. It’s going to be a long and horrible day tomorrow.”

Clarke hadn’t been wrong. The day was long. They were up before dawn. They had taken the time to bathe together, then helped each other into their full regalia and face paint. They stood side-by-side as they gazed into the mirror.

Clarke smirked. “We make one hell of an imposing couple, don’t we?”

Lexa dipped her chin in agreement. “After today, hopefully we won’t have to look so imposing anymore. With Nia and the last of the Maunon gone, we will hopefully be ushering in a new era of lasting peace.”

Clarke smiled and took Lexa’s hands. “I am sure there will still be bandits and small uprisings from time to time,” Lexa went on, “but it will be nothing like what our people have gone through before.”

“I think you are right, and between my omega army and your gona, we will be able to maintain peace.”

The sun had just risen, and the prisoners had been ushered out and tied to the large bare trees that had been cut from the forest just outside of Polis and secured in the earth in the market square. Anya and Gustus double checked the bindings of each prisoner then stepped aside allowing Heda to take center stage.

Lexa held up her hands trying to silence the crowd. When she had their attention, she made a grand speech outlining each of the prisoners’ crimes. She started with Wells who got sneered and yelled at, mostly by the people from the sky. She then moved on to Cage and then Dante. She listed the crimes of the Maunon and the people yelled and screamed. They pelted the prisoners with rotten fruit. Heda allowed them their anger. 

When she moved onto Nia and her list of crimes, the crowd had to be held back by the Royal Guard. For as hated as the Maunon were, Nia was hated more. She was supposed to be one of them, yet she sided with their greatest enemy and even turned her own people into ripas. Her betrayal ripped at the very core of what it was to be part of the Coalition, and the people were angry. She allowed it for a few minutes, then commanded silence. 

Clarke moved to stand next to Lexa. “Because of their heinous crimes, they have been sentenced to death, but not only will they receive one thousand cuts, they will also be beheaded.” She gestured to Raven. The beta walked forward with four long and very strange looking cords in her hands. At the end of each cord was a black box. 

Anya walked to each prisoner and gagged them, making the crowd angry again. They wanted to hear the screams of agony of the punished. Lexa had to hold her hands up again. “Patience, my people, please.”

Raven then walked up to Wells. He was weeping. “You know what this is, don’t you, you piece of shit?” His whimpers confirmed that he did. The prisoners were naked. Raven started the length of cord at his foot and wound it around his leg and up to his shrunken manhood. She had to jump back when he lost control of his bladder.

“What’s the matter, Wells? Don’t feel so big and tough anymore?” The alpha sobbed behind his gag. Anya came up and dried the puddle at his feet so that Raven could continue to work. She gradually uncoiled the cording up and around his torso, up one arm, and then around his neck. She then secured the box just below his chin. “You’re gonna go boom motherfucker, but not until after we cut you to smithereens.”

She then did the same to the others. Cage may have already been dead for how little he reacted. He didn’t cry, flinch, move, or even blink. He had turned inward on himself. His fight was practically over already.

Dante and Nia were another story. They growled and screamed through their gags. They tried to thrash and move, but the bindings held them tight. When Raven was done, she stepped away with Anya at her side, her lip curled in distaste as she looked at the horrible people before her. She couldn’t help herself and walked back up to Dante. “This extra special punishment is all your fault, Mr. President,” Raven said, mocking the man. “You hurt my mate. Anyone who hurts my mate goes boom.” She tapped the box under his chin. “When the fuse hits this box, your head is going to explode like a rotten melon. It’s a fitting end for a person unfit to be a human being.” She walked away and didn’t bother listening to the crap spewing from his mouth.

That was when the real punishment began. All who took the knife were instructed to avoid cutting the fuses, although, Raven had the forethought to make extras just in case one did get cut or failed.

As per custom, the gags were removed, and Clarke as Queen, made the first cut. Heda would make the last.

*****

The Haiplana moved to Wells first. He was a crying and babbling mess. He apologized profusely, but Clarke doubted his sincerity. It was only because he was about to die that he was sorry. She just shook her head at him. “It’s sad Wells. There are so many good people down here from the Ark, and you could have been one of them, but you let your father and the Council pollute you until you couldn’t be redeemed anymore. You could have helped me, but instead you hurt me. Every cut you get today is all your own making. You have earned this punishment.” She made a quick but painful cut to his left shoulder.

She then moved on to Cage who she had no words for. She cut him on his chest and moved on. When she got to Dante, he growled and spit at her. She didn’t even move to avoid the wet globule that hit her armored shoulder. “You think you inherited this earth, but you didn’t. We all did, and if you could have seen past your arrogance, and just asked for help, Lexa and her people would have helped you. We could have all lived in peace and harmony, but you thought you were better than us, and you took what wasn’t yours to take, but that might not even be your worst crime. You committed that when you killed all your people. Did you know that Carl Emerson is still alive? You killed his children.” She pointed to Emerson who was waiting for his cut at the front of the crowd. “He’s been helping us you know. Just yesterday, with his help, we were able to cure the rest of the ripas and the people of the underground. Because of your betrayal an entire clan can now walk freely in the sun. It’s everything you hoped and dreamed for and instead of getting it yourself, you gave it to people you despise. By stealing the blood of my people, and then my own, you liberated an entire people.” She dragged her blade jaggedly across his skin eliciting a howl of pain.

She walked up to Nia expecting to and getting spit on again. It didn’t bother her. It didn’t even faze her, and this infuriated the Ice Queen. Even now, Clarke could feel Nia trying to make her submit. It only made her laugh sadly. She didn’t enjoy what she was doing. “It’s over, Nia kom Azgeda. You need to give up. There is now way out of this, and you can’t make me submit to you. You never could.” She held her dagger loosely at her side. “You think we are weak, but it is you who shows weakness even now. Stand up and take your punishment like the alpha that you are. Take some of your misplaced pride and show us what it is to die for your cause, even if it is a cause that has failed.”

“Jok yu (fuck you).” Nia threw her head forward trying to headbutt the omega. 

“I feel sorry for you. You had such strength and potential, but you wasted it on petty vendettas and power grabs. You could have been so much more if only you could have let go of your hatred. It must have been a lonely life.” Clarke made her cut across Nia’s forehead and watched as the blood began to drip into the alpha’s ice blue eyes. “Goodbye, Azplana.”

The people then streamed in to make their cuts, the delinquents, the omegas, Emerson, and so many others. Three times the proceedings had to be stopped so that one or another of the prisoners could be brought back to consciousness and survive all one thousand cuts. The fisas had their work cut out for them. Only Nia withstood all her cuts. That isn’t to say that she didn’t holler, curse, scream, and finally cry. She did. 

It took hours to get through each cut, and the ground was soaked with blood. That was when Raven moved forward again and lit the fuse at Wells feet. He weakly tried to move his foot so that she couldn’t light the fuse, but it was to no avail. His screams of agony filled the air as the fuse slowly burned his already beleaguered skin. It blistered and singed all the way up his body, and he whimpered and cried the whole time. His terror grew as he felt the fuse reach his neck. He screamed out apologies and begged for mercy. It was no use. When the fuse hit the box, the box blew, taking Wells’ head with it. 

A look of undiluted horror filled Dante and Nia’s eyes. Cage had remained completely inert during the entire punishment. His heart may have still been beating, but he was already dead inside. 

Raven lit his fuse and watched with satisfaction as Dante wailed for his son. Pure agony lit upon his face when watched his son’s head explode.

When it was his turn, Raven took her time lighting the fuse. She would be the first to admit that she was not sorry that this man was dying a horrible death. He had hurt her mate, scarring her for life, and death is what he deserved. As of this day, Raven wasn’t fully convinced that her mate was entirely healed from her ordeal in the Mountain. “Time to pop your head right off your body, President Puke Face.” She jammed a screwdriver into his shoulder, and Anya had to drag her away.

Clarke watched her friend with concern as the fuse melted into Dante’s skin. Tears were pouring down Raven’s face as Anya held her close. It wasn’t only Anya that had gotten hurt by the Maunon. Raven had too, and she still had a slight limp to prove it.

When the fuse reached Dante’s shoulder, he resigned himself to his fate. He squeezed his eyes shut, muttered something under his breath, but didn’t get to finish. His head was gone before he got out his last words.

When it was Nia’s turn, Lexa lit the fuse. In the end, the Ice alpha tried to go out with grace and dignity, that is until the fuse got close to the box. She then thrashed her head back and forth in an effort to dislodge the contraption for her neck. She screamed just as the fuse hit the box, but nothing happened. Everyone in the crowd was silent, looking at one another, not understanding what had just happened.

It wasn’t until Lexa stepped in front of Nia again and drew her sword that they understood. The terrified and crying alpha’s chest was heaving, and she was struggling to breath. “Yu gonplei ste odon (your fight is over).”

She swung her sword and lopped off the Ice Bitch’s head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Murphy's going to be a nontu (father). I stupidly had originally named his mate Iris and then was like WTF. It has to be Emori. Duh. I love Memori.
> 
> What did you think of Raven's boom box?


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After the last two chapters, I thought we deserved something a little fluffier, so here it is. This isn't the end. There is one chapter to go, and that has me feeling a bit emotional. It's been a long and wonderfully amazing ride, and it has been an honor to share it with all of you.
> 
> To all of you who get to watch the season 7 premier tonight, I hope it satisfies.

Chapter 31

Clarke and Lexa walked hand in hand through the streets of Polis. No formal festivities had been planned, but it wasn’t surprising when celebrations popped up all over the city. Cooking fires roared, drinks flowed freely, and the spirit of the people was light.

Clarke also found herself feeling light. She hadn’t realized just how heavy a burden she was carrying until after the four bodies of their enemies had been disposed of. She was happy when Heda announced that there would be no pyres lit for the condemned.

As they walked, many of the inhabitants thrust gifts and food into their arms. The pair became so overburdened that their guards had to start carrying some of their bounty for them. When they passed larger crowds, cheers of “Heda!” and “Haiplana!” met their ears. There was also singing and dancing, and for the first time, the people of Polis and the entire Coalition were entering a time of peace. Their greatest enemies had been destroyed, and no longer would the people have to fear the Maunon, ripas, or the wrath of the Ice Queen. If ever there had been a time to celebrate, today was it.

Clarke looked up into the air when she heard several muted pops coming from the top of the tower, and then she gasped when colorful flowers started to rain down upon them. Soft pink, purple, blue, and red petals fell gently upon them, and her eyes sparkled seeing just how many petals got stuck in Lexa’s hair. Most of them were pink, and sudden desire coiled deep within Clarke. She had never seen her alpha in pink before, and she now had a deep desire to see just what her houmon would look like wearing a silky pink negligee.

She struggled to get a hold of herself. 

“Who’s doing this?” Clarke asked as she caught a delicate blossom in her hand. She raised it up to her nose trying to catch its fragrance.

“I don’t know niron, but I wouldn’t be surprised if our little bird had something to do with it.”

Clarke chuckled. “I guess I can see that. Raven’s good at making things go boom. Who’s to say that sometimes the things she explodes can’t be something pretty?” She looked at Lexa and smiled. The alpha’s hair was accumulating more petals. The light feminine colors littering her wife’s tresses continued to make the omega uncomfortable in the best kind of way.

She looked up just as she heard another faint pop from the top of the tower. More colorful petals started to float through the air. 

“Yep, definitely Raven. When did she have time to do all this?” Lexa wondered.

“She had to have had help,” was Clarke’s only answer.

Lexa plucked a red petal from Clarke’s hair. The omega was covered with just as many petals as Lexa. “You look gorgeous, niron.”

Clarke looked down at herself. She had more blood on her than she would have liked, but less than she thought it would be. She wanted nothing more than to get into a new set of clothes and to get the paint off her face. The warpaint was starting to drive her insane. Even as mussed as she and Lexa were though, she had to admit that the colorful flowers sticking to them was attractive.

“As do you, Heda. I like you in pink.”

“I’m too tough to wear pink,” Lexa scoffed teasingly.

“Well, you are wearing it now, and I say it’s hot.” 

It was almost invisible beneath her warpaint, but Clarke was fairly certain that she detected a faint blush on Lexa’s cheeks.

“There’s nothing wrong looking soft sometimes.” Clarke grabbed a petal that had a particular color of pink that Clarke decided she liked on her alpha very much. “I think that after I change, I might go see the tailor and see if she can’t make you something in this shade to wear during your next rut. It’s not that far away.”

“Clarke,” Lexa said in surprise.

The omega went on. “Of course, I’ll be in heat at the same time. I don’t know that if I have something made for you that it will stay on for long, but I would like to see you in something this color. It would be sexy.” She dragged the pink petal down Lexa’s cheek and then down her neck making sure it scraped over her mating mark.

Lexa’s blush was suddenly very evident.

The alpha was saved from further embarrassment by the appearance of Octavia and Lincoln. Octavia, as usual, was her perky self. She was maybe even perkier than usual. She held a cup in her hand, and Clarke had no doubt it came from Jasper and Monty’s stand. 

“Hey, you two,” the younger omega said. Her words were just barely slurred.

Lincoln was more formal. “Heda, Haiplana. I think I speak for everyone in the Coalition when I say thank you.”

Lexa grasped forearms with him. “It wasn’t just the two of us. We all played a part in taking them down.”

“That may be,” Lincoln said, “but without the two of you it would never have happened, and for those of us whose greatest fear was becoming a ripa, we will now be able to sleep at night without fear of waking up a mindless killer.”

Clarke raised a brow. She hadn’t known that Lincoln had held such a fear, but she imagined it might be a fear that many others held as well. She hadn’t lived on the Earth long enough to have loved ones ripped from their homes, or to have them mysteriously disappear, only to have them show back up as a reaper. The days she spent trying to help Anya not become a ripa had been bad enough. She couldn’t imagine what she would have done if she had ever come face to face with someone she loved who was no longer themselves.

She shuddered but then smiled. They would never again have to face a ripa. 

Octavia drunkenly plucked a pink petal off Lincoln’s shaved head. “I like you in pink,” she murmured lustily. Lexa and Clarke burst out laughing.

“It would appear that pink is having its moment,” Lexa chortled. 

It wasn’t long before everyone in the crowd was covered in the colorful, fragrant flowers, and the streets looked like they had been painted by one of the famous impressionist artists of long ago that Titus had shown Clarke in a book. The effect was stunning, especially with the way the rays of the setting sun hit it. It was a kaleidoscope of color. As soon as Clarke spotted Raven she ran to the beta and gave her a crushing hug. “Thank you for this,” the blonde said.

The beta just shrugged. “I knew you would like it, and I’d do anything for my favorite omega.” 

Costia, Myra, and Octavia all narrowed their eyes at her. “What? You know I love you guys, but this omega here,” the beta draped an arm over Clarke’s shoulder, “she’s special.”

“It’s true,” Anya said, biting into a meat kabob and smiling. Clarke wasn’t sure if she was smiling because of her words or because of the food in her mouth. The alpha had only just been able to start eating meat again, much to everyone’s relief. 

Myra walked over to Clarke and grabbed her hand. She grabbed one of Lexa’s too. “You two have so much to be proud of.” The older omega was practically beaming and patted Clarke on her cheek when she let go of her hand. “You have changed so much since you came to us. You were so very frightened and frail, but now, there is no one stronger.”

Lexa huffed. “What about me?”

“You know what I mean, dear,” Myra said. She then dragged Clarke off to have a few words with her alone. “Do you remember when I told you that you had lived so much of your life in darkness but that one day you would get your chance to rise up and shine so bright that it would bring tears of happiness to those around you?”

Clarke did remember. She had only been on the ground for a few days at the time. It was the morning after she had had a terrible nightmare and had almost hurt herself. She nodded at Myra. 

“This is that moment, ai goufa. Look at the people around you.” Clarke did. The mood was jubilant. Myra pointed at a couple who was hugging. Both people were crying, but the tears weren’t because of sadness, they were tears of joy.

“That woman was one of the people Nia so callously turned into a ripa. It is because of you that she was able to be saved, and it was also because of you that Nia is now gone. You and my daughter have accomplished so much in the little time you have been down here, and I just wanted to let you know how proud of you I am, Clarke. I am so, so proud to have you as one of my daughters. Ai hod yu in, ai strik omega.”

Clarke’s heart soared and she was crying. “I love you to, Nomon.” 

Anya also made sure to have a private moment with Clarke. The stoic alpha caught her in a bear hug and said so many mushy, sweet things to Clarke that the omega started teasing the alpha that she was going soft. It didn’t deter her. Anya made it clear to Clarke in no uncertain terms that she considered the omega as more than just her second and friend. She considered her a sister, and Clarke was weepy again. She thought back to all her time in the sky, and then her time on the ground. She had a hard time remembering just how scared she used to be of the alpha and was glad that it was no longer the case. The bond they shared was like no other, and she couldn’t be happier that the alpha thought of her as family.

Lexa interrupted them. She was missing her wife even though Myra and Anya had only occupied a small amount of her time.

She gave Anya a playful growl. “You made my wife cry.”

“Did not. Your Nomon did that.”

Clarke snuggled into Lexa’s side. “I assure you, Lex, they are tears of happiness.” She looked around at Lexa, Myra, Costia, Echo, Anya, and Raven who had all gathered around her. “I don’t know what I did to deserve all of you, but I know I am the luckiest person on the Earth, and maybe even the universe. I never dreamed I would have a family, but somehow, I got the best family in the world. I love all of you.”

“We love you too,” Costia said. “Now let’s stop being such saps and go join the party because I know in a about an hour,” she pointed at Lexa and Clarke, “you two are going to go running back to the tower to be with your pups.”

She wasn’t wrong. Already Clarke was ready to go back, but she knew Alex and Madi were fine, so she decided to stick it out for another hour or two before going back home.

Lexa sat at a table nursing her drink while Clarke danced with her family. Lexa rolled the word around in her mouth: Family. As Commander, she had never expected to have more than Costia and her Nomon as her family. If she were being honest with herself, she had always felt like Anya was a part of it too, but it took the natblida omega falling into her life for her to admit it. Anya was family, and now Raven and Echo were too. Even Octavia and Lincoln were becoming a part of it, and it filled her heart with pride. She was proud to call all of them family.

She thought of their two goufas up in the tower, and she smiled. She knew it wouldn’t be long before they had several playmates to crawl around with. Murphy may have beaten all the others to the punch, but she had a distinct feeling that Costia, Raven, and Octavia were next. She wouldn’t even be surprised if it happened at the same time.

It wasn’t uncommon for family members and close friends to fall into their heats at the same time and judging by the attention the three women gave their pups, they all had baby fever. She looked to the bright moon above her. Spirits help the people of Polis if all three of them got pregnant at the same time. Echo, Anya, and Lincoln were going to have their hands full, and she was suddenly thinking that if her suspicions were correct that it might be a good time to start planning a trip for her little family. Clarke had yet to see the glowing forest, and she was certain the omega would enjoy taking the pups on an extended vacation.

“What has you smirking so wickedly over here?” a sweaty, flushed Clarke asked. Lexa took a minute to admire her wife before answering. 

“I was simply planning a vacation for us and the pups. I think I would like to take you to the glowing forest.”

Clarke quirked an eyebrow. Lexa had never mentioned taking a vacation before. “What has you deciding to do that now, and when would be go?”

Lexa smirked again. “Oh, I would say we could leave in about three, maybe four months.”

Clarke was confused. “Why then?”

Lexa sucked in her lips then couldn’t help but laugh. “Because I have a feeling you and I are going to need a break right about then. Mark my words, those three,” Lexa pointed to the two omegas and one beta dancing together with their mates, “are somehow going to get pregnant at the same time, and Polis isn’t going to know what hit it.”

Clarke looked shocked. “Do you really think so?”

“I do. I am almost certain that their heats will hit when yours does. Because yours is so soon after the birth of our pups, it is not likely that you will get pregnant, but those three. They will unless they take the tea.”

“And you are okay with Costia getting pregnant?” Clarke pondered.

Lexa made a face. “She is my strik sis (little sister), so I don’t exactly want to think about her sharing her heat with someone, but Echo is an honorable woman, and I can’t think of anyone else who I want to see with my sister.”

They both watched as Echo and Costia swayed to the slow tempo of music that was being played. They made a handsome couple. There was no doubt about that. Beyond them Myra and Gustus were also dancing together.

“What if Nomon is the next to get pregnant?” Clarke asked. She was teasing, but the look of horror that crossed Lexa’s face had her concerned that the alpha might pass out. “Breath, Lex. I was teasing.”

“That’s not funny.” 

“Oh, come on. It’s a little funny.” Clarke was enjoying teasing her alpha.

“You do realize that if she were to get pregnant that I would have a sis or bro that was younger than our pups, and it would be another diaper to change when she made us babysit.”

Clarke chuckled but conceded that it was indeed a scary thought. She didn’t need more diapers to change. She wondered if Myra was too old to be pregnant. She’d have to ask Jackson.

They watched for a few more minutes and then Lexa stood. She threaded her fingers with Clarke’s. They silently made their way through the crowd and back to the tower. 

By the time they reached it, Clarke was leaning heavily on Lexa. It had been a long and harrowing day, and the omega’s exhaustion was finally catching up to her.

Thankfully, the elevator was already on ground level so that they didn’t need to wait for it. Clarke stumbled in and a whoosh of air left her lungs when Lexa unexpectedly lifted her into her arms. She dropped her head into the crook of the alpha’s shoulder, but not before seeing the salacious smile her wife was giving her. 

“I know all this talk of pups had made you horny, Heda, but don’t get any big ideas.”

Clarke could feel Lexa’s chest vibrating as she laughed. She then felt a kiss placed in her hair just as the elevator lurched into action. 

Lexa carried the now sleeping omega into their chambers. She dismissed the omega elder who had been babysitting the pups since early in the morning. The old woman smiled kindly at Heda and left. Madi and Alex were already asleep in their cribs, so Lexa walked over to their bed and placed Clarke on it. She then gathered a mountain of furs and made a nest next to the cribs. She picked Clarke back up without waking her and placed her in the nest. She knew her omega would appreciate waking up next to the children. 

Lexa beamed as she took in her little family. Already Clarke had rolled over so that she was facing the pups, and they both seemed to gravitate toward the omega in their sleep. She reluctantly tore her eyes away from the sight and got herself ready for bed. The blonde was still sound asleep when she got back, and she carefully undressed her sleeping wife.

It had been a long time since Clarke had been able to sleep so peacefully, and despite her desire to ravish her wife, she snuggled in behind instead. She was asleep in minutes.

Clarke woke several hours later. Madi was whimpering in her crib. She shook her head to clear her mind only to realize that her and Lexa were sleeping in a mess of furs. She couldn’t help the smile that broke out on her face as she stood and scooped her daughter to her. The little brunette’s lips rooted around until Clarke placed her so that she could suckle at her breast. Clarke settled back into the furs and allowed her daughter to feed. As if on cue, Alex started to cry just as Madi had finished, and Clarke placed her back into her bed. She lifted the little boy that looked so much like her. His brilliant blue eyes stared at her as if he could see into her soul. When his lips tipped into a tiny smile, Clarke started to purr. She positioned him so that he could feed, but this time didn’t settle back into the furs. She carried the tiny boy out onto the balcony, making sure to cover him first so that he wouldn’t get cold. 

Clarke had not lost her love of watching the sunrise. She still marveled at the beauty of it, and today’s sunrise was like no other. She gasped as the filtered rays hit the streets of Polis. The flower petals from the day before blanketed everything, and the riot of color had Clarke itching to grab a sketchbook and some colored charcoals. She shifted Alex in her arms and murmured to him softly. A warm body enveloped her from behind.

“Raven has outdone herself this time. It is stunning,” Lexa husked. Alex had fallen asleep, having gotten his fill, so the alpha took him from her houmon. She moved the pup carefully so as not to wake him then leaned in to kiss her wife properly. 

“Did you sleep well, ai houmon?” Lexa asked.

“I did.” She looked at Lexa who was glowing in the new day’s light. She looked radiant. “I still want to know how Raven pulled this off.” She waved her arms indicating the colorful blanket covering the city.

“We’ll be lucky if she tells us. I’m just glad that she wasn’t so focused on making her little killing boxes that she couldn’t think of anything else.” Lexa leaned over to sniff Alex’s hair. She couldn’t get enough of their pups’ scent. “I was worried about her for a while.”

“I was too,” Clarke admitted. Her eyes roved back over the city. People were just beginning to wake and start their day. “Do you really think we will have peace now?”

“I do.” Lexa’s eyes were wandering just as the omega’s were. “It’s not just the dawn of a new day. It’s the dawn of a new era.”

Clarke looked out at the scene before her and hoped. No, she didn’t hope, she believed. Peace was upon them, and it was going to last. Her pups, and her pups’ pups, would never know the hardships that Heda and her people had faced. They would never know the torment of the Mountain, and they would never know of Nia’s wrath. Clarke planned to purge her from history. She didn’t know how she would do it, but she vowed that Nia would one day be completely forgotten. The people would only ever know peace and prosperity, love and laughter. 

Lexa tugged at her hand, interrupting her thoughts. “It’s going to be a beautiful day, niron, and for once we have absolutely nothing to do. What would you say to a picnic by the pond with our family?”

“I would say that it’s a lovely idea.” 

The two held hands as they exited the balcony. Today was going to be the first day of their new and peaceful lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is it that we are getting to the end of this? I am both excited and sad to see this end. The end of this series will bring new and different stories, but I have been writing this series for over a year now, and it's going to be hard to let it go. There is a small chance that there may be another installment, but if it happens, it won't be until after I get all the other stories out of my head.
> 
> Thank you all for your kudos and comments, and thank you for sticking with this until the end.
> 
> One more chapter to go. I will see you all one more time at the end of chapter 32.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it. The last chapter. The chapter went in a direction that I never expected, and that is part of why it took me so long to post it. In the end, I decided to live with it. I hope you all enjoy it.

Chapter 32

Clarke was luxuriating in the feel of Lexa’s beautifully long hair as she deftly braided it for the alpha. It had finally grown out and exceeded the length that it had been all that time ago when Lexa had to cut it off so that she could rescue her from the Ark. It felt like a lifetime ago. 

“You need to hurry, niron, if we are to get away before the three hellcats find out we are leaving.”

The omega leaned her head forward so that she could kiss Lexa’s naked shoulder. “You’re right,” she conceded, but continued the slow and methodical weaving of the alpha’s gorgeous locks. They were planning to make a quick getaway before they were besieged by Costia, Raven and Octavia. 

It hadn’t really surprised anyone that the trio had gotten pregnant at the same time, but it was a surprise that it took as long as it did. It had been twelve months since the defeat of Nia and the Mountain, and it was only a handful of months ago that the women had gotten pregnant. At first Clarke longed for another pup or two and to be pregnant alongside them, but when her children started walking and toddling around, creating chaos and mischief as they went, she realized just how full her hands were. She wasn’t ready to have another newborn. Not yet.

Costia was the first to announce that she was pregnant, but it was only days later when Raven and Octavia realized that they too were going to have pups, and their mates couldn’t have been prouder. Anya had a glow to her that they had never seen before. She strutted around with her chest puffed out for a full two weeks telling everyone who would listen that she was going to be a nomi (mom). Echo was more reserved, but there was no hiding the sparkle in her eyes or the pure adoration she had when she stared at Costia. Lincoln was Lincoln. He was always careful and gentle with his mate, and he brooded over her like a busy hen with new chicks. It was adorable.

That was five months ago. It was before the three women had joined together to make everyone’s life hell, thus the name hellcats. They were increasingly grouchy and demanding, but only while they were together. They were like the cartoon Tasmanian devil, eating their way through the market and then demanding more from their mates. They insisted on complete obedience from their houmons.

Lexa and Clarke had watched with amusement at first. Each one of them was themselves when alone, but put them all together, and it was as if the pregnancy hormones took them over making them hard to be around. It was as if they had made a pact to band together and create as much chaos as they could. All three of them had already been banned from seeing the tailor because they blamed him for always needing bigger clothes, and Raven had to be ordered by Lexa herself not to touch anything explosive. She had almost blown up her workshop, not once, but twice since she had gotten pregnant.

Octavia wasn’t the worst of them, but she insisted that everyone continue to spar with her. She felt like she could take on the world. Whenever she went near the training ring, the gona fled like the plague was upon them. They weren’t about to take on the pregnant omega, fearing the wrath of both her mate and Heda.

The Commander was almost to the point that she was going to ban them from seeing each other until they had the pups. 

Instead, Clarke reminded her of a promise she had made…to get away for a while if they all got pregnant at the same time. Heda was more than ready. 

It took a week of secret planning, but the day was finally upon then that they were going to leave and take a couple of months to just be a family. Titus, Gustus, and Myra would be in charge of running the Coalition while they were gone. With peace finally at hand, Lexa did not fear a prolonged absence. 

She had already planned on where she would like to travel. She would be taking Clarke to places that she had never seen before. They, of course, would be traveling with about fifteen guards, but Lexa had ordered them to be discreet, and give them as much space as they possibly could while keeping them safe. She had meticulously planned out the trip so that they would arrive back in Polis about two weeks before the three pups were going to be born. 

Heda and the Queen had at first felt guilty for abandoning their friends and family, but it was time for them to take a long overdue vacation from running the Coalition. Raven, Octavia and Costia might be pissed, but they couldn’t begrudge them some time alone. Not since Anya had pulled Clarke from her pod had Lexa and the omega had true, unadulterated, alone time.

It may have been a year since the executions, but it had taken almost all that time to get everything settled. The Mountain had been used to help create a serum that allowed the Ona Graun to move freely above ground. It had taken time because Lexa had forbidden anymore blood samples from being taken from Clarke, but there had been enough information in the databases for a serum to be created. The Underground was now free to walk the Earth. Many settled in Polis, and some even took up residence in the old catacombs, not feeling fully comfortable living above ground. Others had scattered to the different clans, but many stayed near home. It came as no surprise that they were talented at digging into the soil and finding hidden treasures. There were new mines being built and the Ona Graun enjoyed working them. The Ona Graun and the mines had contributed greatly to the Coalition and the newest clan was quickly becoming one of the most prosperous Krus out there.

Charles Pike had finally been healed, but the trauma of being a ripa for so long scarred him, and he wasn’t the man he had once been. He had been reunited with Hanna Green, and surprisingly, they took up residence with the Plains Riders. Pike was quiet and reserved, and he didn’t speak much. His new, calm demeanor made him a perfect man for dealing with unruly horses. By the reports Lexa received, he was a natural with the beasts. If they hadn’t known that he was from the sky, the leaders of the clan would have thought he had worked with horses all his life.

Carl Emerson, the last Mountain man, also fled to the plains. The man had no desire to live near any mountain. He too was a quiet man, after having lost his family, but rumor had it that he was being courted by a tiny woman named Sorrel. She had apparently been at the man’s side since his arrival in Ingranrona, and she had been pivotal in helping the man heal. 

“There,” Clarke patted Lexa’s newly braided hair in place. “Now we can go.”

Lexa observed herself in the mirror and smiled. Her wife has become very adept at braiding her hair. Clarke has chosen to leave her hair free of braids. The increasingly active pups still love to pull on her golden waves, but she insisted that it was more painful when there are braids in it. Because of her refusal, Lexa procured a head wrap for her lest her beautiful blonde tresses get tangled while traveling. The deep navy head scarf brought out the color of her eyes.

They wouldn’t be taking horses this trip. Since they were traveling with the pups, Lexa had commanded four of Raven’s rovers to be ready for them. Raven had no idea that she would be finding four of her precious vehicles missing when she woke up. Clarke was sure it was going to set the beta on a rampage.

Each rover still had a gun mounted to it, and Raven was able to make new ammunition for them, but they weren’t expecting any trouble. The other guns, those that had long been hidden away after the fall of the Ark, remained that way. King Roan, once he returned to his native lands, searched Nia’s lair and found her key. He had it sent back to Heda, but she took it and melted it down. She didn’t want the guns to see the light of day again. They weren’t needed, and she hoped they never would be again. She also had not doubt that if needed, Raven would be able to find a way in.

The Coalition leaders headed out of the tower, each carrying a sleeping child. Gustus, Myra, Echo, and Anya were waiting by the four rovers. 

“Please take us with you,” Anya begged. “I don’t know how much more of Raven I can take. It’s like a demon spirit had taken over her.”

Lexa and Clarke chuckled. “If you are referring to your unborn pup,” Clarke teased, “then you better hope that Raven doesn’t hear you. She will have no qualms about blowing you up and raising the pup on her own.”

“Please, Heda,” Echo said, ignoring Clarke. “Costia is wearing me out. Her sex drive…she’s insatiable. I’m going to die of exhaustion before the pup can be born.”

Lexa grimace and looked away. She did not want to know about her little sisters need for sex.

“Em pleni,” Lexa said, holding her arms up to stop the two alpha sires. “You are two of the strongest warriors in the Coalition. I have every confidence that you will survive the coming months, and when you do, you will be awarded with the most precious gift you will ever receive. I can’t speak from experience because my houmon was an absolute dream during her pregnancy (she noticed Clarke rolling her eyes), but I know you can withstand whatever they throw at you…just try to keep them apart.”

Myra walked up to Lexa first and gave her a hug. “Don’t worry about them. I will help them. I know a thing or two about handling packs of unruly pregnant women.”

Anya and Echo both looked at her like she had grown two heads. “If this is true,” Anya snarled, “then why haven’t you helped us yet?”

“Because it was far too amusing to watch you squirm,” Myra replied causing Gustus to guffaw at the two alphas.

“Go and have fun,” he said. “No one deserves a break more than the two of you.”

There were hugs and tears, but eventually Lexa was able to leave with her little family.

Clarke sat in the passenger seat admiring her alpha. The pups were safely secured in the back. It seemed that long vehicle trips made them extra sleepy, and it left the two parents with additional time to enjoy the solitude together. Lexa had eventually become a passable driver. She wasn’t the best, but she also wasn’t the worst, and Clarke didn’t mind allowing the alpha to drive for a while, although she still insisted on driving most of the way to their initial destination even though it took several days. They meandered through parts of the Shallow Valley and Broadleaf clans, before reaching the first place on Lexa’s itinerary deep in the southern parts of the Glowing Forest.

The alpha had timed their arrival perfectly, and Clarke looked out the window with wonder in her eyes. The tires of the rover crunched over a path made a mix of rocks and shells before it finally stopped in front of a set of log cabins deep in the woods. She could just barely make out the setting sun as it dipped down over a large body of water. 

“What is this place?” Clarke finally asked.

“Just wait and see.”

The guards from the three other rovers set about lugging provisions into the cottages while Clarke and Lexa both grabbed their sleeping pups. Instead of heading inside, Lexa led them down a path to the edge of what Clarke realized was an enormous lake. They watched the beauty of the sunset, but that wasn’t what Lexa was here to show Clarke.

It wasn’t until the sun had fully disappeared that the omega realized what she was being shown. Little dots of yellow light began to light up the night sky as tiny insects fluttered through the air. They became so numerous that the blinking bugs eclipsed the stars in the sky.

The omega watched in amazement. “They are fireflies, but that’s still not what you are here to see. Turn around, niron.”

Clarke did, and she gasped. Hundreds of glowing blue butterflies floated through the air. “Lex…”

The alpha dug around in her pocket and pulled out a piece of fruit. She cut it in half and placed one of the pieces in Clarke’s palm. “Hold still.”

At first nothing happened, but then one brave butterfly landed on the fruit in the omega’s hand. The blue glow increased as it ate. It wasn’t long before the sweet treat attracted more of the floating creatures. 

Lexa stepped back to admire her now glowing wife. The winged insects were on her shoulders, in her hand, and in her hair. “So beautiful,” Lexa admired.

“They are,” Clarke agreed.

“I didn’t mean the butterflies,” Lexa replied and was fairly certain that she saw a faint red blush tinge the omega’s skin underneath the blue light.

They spent days in the Glowing Forest. Their pups were able to run around and play while Lexa and Clarke watched on. Going deeper into the clan’s land one day, Lexa arranged for a hunt, but this wasn’t an ordinary hunt. The land Lexa led Clarke and the guards to became swampy, and several long wooden canoes waited for them. 

Four of the most trusted gona were made to babysit while Lexa led Clarke to a canoe. At first the omega was wary of the boat. She hadn’t been on one before, but then she witnessed her alpha’s skill at maneuvering the craft and she calmed down. The remaining gona followed behind in their own boats.

“What are we hunting?” Clarke wanted to know.

Lexa didn’t answer. She paddled until she found her prey. She pointed to the shore and Clarke was so startled she almost tipped the canoe. Just at the water’s edge lay a large, maybe eight-foot long, alligator. 

The omega had continued her studies with Titus, and that included learning about the different animals of the clans. She never in her wildest dreams thought she would ever see such a creature. When he had taught her about the beasts, Clarke had thought he was pulling her leg. She thought a creature such as this couldn’t actually exist.

Her alpha produced a spear from the bottom of the boat and gracefully stood. Her long, lean arms moved back, and like a shot, the spear went flying. It hit the beast, but it didn’t succumb easily. It thrashed on the shore, and made its way into the water, but Lexa and the other gona were out of the boat before it could submerge. 

What happened next was scrubbed from Clarke’s mind. It was the most horrifying and hottest thing she’d ever seen her wife do. In the end, the beast lost its fight, and the omega rewarded her alpha greatly that night for her bravery. 

The gona had been left to dress the beast for their Heda. It would be making the trip back to Polis with them. 

The next morning, the rovers were already packed and ready to go before Clarke even stirred in their bed. She groggily stepped outside to see the alligator tied to the top of their vehicle. She blinked a few times.

“It’s a good thing you are bringing it with us, because no one would ever believe that you wrestled such a creature,” she said.

Lexa raised an eyebrow and looked smug. 

That day they started a slow trek back north to Polis, stopping along the way to visit clan leaders and have fun. There was a strict ‘no clan business’ rule on this trip, and the people of the clans respected that. Instead they had parties, played games, and showered Clarke and the pups with attention and gifts. 

By the time they made it back to Polis, Clarke and Lexa were perhaps more relaxed than they had ever been, and the fanfare they were met with had them smiling and waving at their people, that is until they saw three hugely pregnant woman waiting for them at the end of the procession.

“Uh oh,” Clarke muttered while holding in a laugh. “I think we are in trouble.”

Lexa didn’t bother holding in her amusement. She pointed to the roof of the rover. “Don’t worry about them. If I have to I will sick Abner on them.”

“Abner, really?” 

“Abner the alligator. You don’t like it?” Lexa teased. “How about Abe, or Albus, oh or Andy. We can call him Andy Gator.”

“As long as you don’t hang it above our mantle, you can name it whatever you want.”

Lexa and Clarke stepped out of the rover expecting to be blasted by three angry women, instead they were smothered in hugs. 

“We missed you,” Costia said, snuggling her head into the crook of Lexa’s shoulder. Raven and Octavia almost took Clarke down with their excitement to get to her.

Anya, Echo and Lincoln all waited patiently for their turn with their leaders. They seemed much more relaxed than when they left. It appeared that Myra had helped them with their pregnant mates after all.

When everyone had their turn greeting the returned leaders, they were ushered into the tower for a great feast with their extended family. Anya carried Alex and Echo carried Madi, and Clarke knew then that the alphas would be doting parents. Their pups would have them wrapped around their little fingers in no time.

During the feast, they regaled everyone with everything they had done, but of course it was Andy Gator who took center stage. Raven had Lexa tell the story three times about how she killed the beast, and the beta was only sad that they hadn’t gotten another one so that she could make a pair of boots out of it.

Clarke paled at the thought. She liked the idea of the gators staying in the swamp where they belonged, but she would never begrudge her alpha her fun, so long as she didn’t hunt for sport too often. It wasn’t her idea of a good time.

The next two weeks flew by, and it wasn’t long before there were three new pups being greeted in Polis. Once again Anya’s chest was puffed out, but this time Echo and Lincoln’s were too. 

Anya and Raven welcomed a beta girl named Rue to the world, while Echo and Costia had an omega boy that they named Rex. Lincoln and Octavia also had a beta girl that they named after O’s mother, Aurora. 

The three pups were celebrated and spoiled, and only brought more happiness to the people of Polis.

The night after they were born, Lexa and Clarke were lying in bed. Clarke dragged her nose up and down her alpha’s cheek before leaning in to kiss her mating mark.

“Seeing the pups made me think that maybe I am ready for another,” she mused. 

Lexa froze and didn’t say anything, but there was an undeniable sparkle in her eyes that she couldn’t hide.

Clarke moved on to nibble at Lexa’s collar bone. “My heat and your rut are only a few weeks away. Maybe this time we should try for another pup.”

Lexa flipped them around so that she had Clarke pinned beneath her. “Why wait that long? Let’s start trying now.”

They made love long into the night, and in the morning, they went on ushering in an era of peace. There were no more wars, and there was no more strife. They were able to watch their pups grow up in peace knowing that the happiness they had today would make them stronger tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been an incredible ride, and I can't thank all of you enough for sticking with me until the end. You comments and kudos gave me motivation to keep writing, even when I sometimes wanted to give up. Each you have made it so worth it.
> 
> If any of you are interested, I just posted a new story called Omega Interrupted. 
> 
> Thank you again. Your support over the past year has meant the world to me.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading, and I hope it was worth it. This first chapter is just the setup for the story. It is going to be one wild ride, and I hope you will all stick with me as I write it. I can't promise to post twice a week like last story, but I will try to post at least once per week, sometimes twice if the writing spirits are with me.
> 
> As always, let me know your thoughts.


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